Bagamoyo has played various historical roles in Tanzania. Apart from being a slave and ivory port, it was also a German headquarters in 1891. Explorers such as Burton, Speke, Grant, Livingstone and Stanley all passed through this town. The name Bagamoyo comes from the Swahili words “bwaga moyo”, meaning “throw down you heart,” a despair expressed by people who were captured as slaves, knowing that they faced uncertain future.
Bagamoyo, Once the penultimate stop for slave and ivory caravans traveling from Lake Tanganyika on their way to Zanzibar, the name Bagamoyo means “Bury my Heart” in Swahili. Missionaries, intent on abolishing the slave trade, made in the center of their activities. The museum has a wonderful collection of photographs and mementos relating to David Livingstone while a house where Henry Morton Stanley once lived can be seen near the beach. Saadani National Park lies 45 km to the north and the Kaole ruins 5 km to the south.
