Dar es Salaam means haven of peace. The name was
bestowed on the city during the time of Sultan Seyyid Majid, who chose the sleeping fi shing
village of Zaramo to have his summer palace,
Bandur ul Salaam, the palace of peace. The
village thrived and grew under the Sultan’s
presence, becoming a centre of trade for ivory
and slaves and transforming over time into the
bustling city of Dar es Salaam.
The city is a hotchpotch of cultural infl uences,
Arab, Indian, German and British infl uences to
be found in the city’s architecture. Sikhs,
Muslims, Hindus and Christians co-exist
peacefully, with the wail of the azan blending
into the sound of church bells in the mornings.
Down at Kariakoo, Chinese electronics jostle
with chickens in the market, cheerful Tingatinga
paintings are stacked next to folded piles of
khangas and kitenges, traditional medicines sit
along side neat pyramids of fruit and vegetables
as shopkeepers hawk their wares.
Visitors to Dar es Salaam are well catered for,
with a choice of accommodation for all budgets,
from backpacker hostels to fi ve star hotels.
For the business traveller, there’s a number of
hotels boasting world class conference
facilities. There’s a mind boggling range of
restaurants off ering Thai, Indian, Italian,
Japanese, Ethiopian cuisine and more as well as
local restaurants serving chipsi, ugali and
nyama choma, freshly grilled meat.
Dar has an electric live music scene.
Traditional taraab orchestras rub shoulders with
dance bands playing jazz, salsa and afro funk.
Rap, hip hop and bongo fl ava artists
collaborate and perform around Dar. Tanzania’s
best and most inventive musicians are showcased
in May at the B-Connected Festival in Mnazi Moja
Grounds. For fi lm lovers, November sees Dar
host the annual Euro African Film Festival.
The city is home to the internationally renowned
East African Art Biennale, which exhibits work
by contemporary artists, sculptors,
photographers and cartoonists from all over
Africa and beyond, the next taking place in
2009. The Nyumba ya Sanaa (Nyerere Cultural
Centre) exhibits art and handicrafts throughout
the year and gives visitors the chance to take
part in workshops in painting, batik and
etching. The National Museum and Botanical
Gardens are also another diverting way to spend
a day, tracing the history of Tazania, from
prehistoric fossils through to the relics of
colonialism.
Beyond the museums, music and art found in the
city centre, Dar has its own selection of
spectacular beaches at Kunduchi, Mikadi,
Mjimwema and Jangwani. At Jangwani, there’s
snorkelling and diving on off er, with the
chance to see tuna, king fi sh and even white
tipped reef sharks. Kunduchi is home to Kunduchi
Wet ‘n’ Wild, East African’s largest water park,
with go karting, quad biking, water skiing and
slides, ideal for a day out with the family.
Scratch beyond the surface in Dar es Salaam and
you’ll fi nd it’s a city rich in diversity and
fi lled with character.
