Sights in Dar Es Salaam
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National Museum
The National Museum houses the famous fossil discoveries of zinjanthropus (nutcracker man) from Olduvai Gorge, plus some scattered but intriguing displays on numerous other topics, including the Shirazi civilisation of Kilwa, the Zanzibar slave trade, and the German and British colonial periods. For aficionados of vintage autos, there’s a small special collection in the plaza between the main buildings, including the Rolls Royce used first by the British colonial government and later by Julius Nyerere, and the original East African Community Mercedes Benz. In the back building are a couple of old wooden bicycles – one of which uses no metal at all. The museum is near the …
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St Joseph’s Cathedral
The spired cathedral, which is still in use – stop by any Sunday morning to see the standing-room only overflow from the services and hear the singing – was built at the same time as the Lutheran church, also by German missionaries. In addition to the striking stained-glass windows behind the main altar (best viewed late in the afternoon), it still contains many of the original German inscriptions and artwork, including the carved relief above the main altar.
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Kunduchi Ruins
Just north of Kunduchi Wet 'n' Wild are the overgrown Kunduchi ruins which include the remnants of a late 15th-century mosque as well as Arabic graves from the 18th or 19th centuries, with some well-preserved pillar tombs. Fragments of Chinese pottery found here testify to ancient trading links between this part of Africa and the Orient. Arrange a guide with your hotel - it's not safe to walk on your own to the ruins, as there have been muggings.
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Village Museum
The centrepiece of the open-air Village Museum is a collection of authentically constructed dwellings illustrating traditional life in various parts of Tanzania. There are Ngoma (drumming and dancing) performances from 4pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, plus occasional special afternoon programmes highlighting the dances of individual tribes.
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Azania Front Lutheran Church
A striking edifice, with a red-roofed belfry overlooking the water and a rather stern Gothic interior, this is one of the city’s major landmarks. The church was built at the turn of the 20th century by German missionaries and is still in active use for services and for choir rehearsals (beautiful – you can sometimes hear the singing from the street).
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Forodhani Hotel Training Institute Building
Just up from the old Kilimanjaro Hotel (now the Kilimanjaro Kempinski) is the old Forodhani Hotel Training Institute building. It currently houses the Appeals Court, but enjoyed its heyday during the British era as the Dar es Salaam Club, when Evelyn Waugh would stop in on occasion for a drink.
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Ocean Rd Hospital
Built in 1897 and no longer operational, but appealing architecturally, with its Moorish influences. The small, white, domed building just before the hospital is where Robert Koch carried out his pioneering research on malaria and tuberculosis around the turn of the 20th century.
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Karimjee Hall
Now closed to the public, this stately white building was the former house of parliament before the legislature was relocated to Dodoma, and is where Julius Nyerere was sworn in as president. Today it is used for parliamentary committee meetings and political functions.
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Kivukoni Front
The city's waterfront, sometimes also called Azania Front, is lined with government buildings, all dating to the German era. Opposite is a colourful assortment of street-side vendors and ageing boats.
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Botanical Gardens
Opposite Karimjee Hall, Dar es Salaam’s languishing botanical gardens date from the German colonial era. They are now just a fraction of their original size.
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White Fathers’ Mission House
Just northeast of St Joseph’s Cathedral, this is one of the oldest buildings in the city, reportedly originally used to house Sultan Majid’s harem.
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State House
An imposing complex set amid large grounds, the State House was originally built by the Germans and rebuilt after WWI by the British.
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Askari Monument
This bronze statue, dedicated to Africans killed in WWI, is now a favourite haunt of street touts and dubious moneychangers.
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Old Boma
Dating to the era of Sultan Majid, and later expanded by the Germans, the Old Boma now houses various offices.
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Coco Beach
Packed with locals on weekends, and an amenable seaside setting for an inexpensive beer.
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