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Day 82, Wednesday, April 16 2025 -Dakar, Senegal

A ferry runs from the gare maritime (passenger port) in Dakar to Île de Gorée and is about a 25 minute boat ride.

Island of Gorée is a tiny, car-free island off the coast of Dakar, in Senegal. It’s known for its role in the 15th- to 19th-century Atlantic slave trade. On the narrow streets, colonial buildings include the House of Slaves, now a museum. The 19th-century Fort d’Estrées houses the IFAN Historical Museum, with exhibits on Senegal’s past.

It was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast. Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, its architecture is characterized by the contrast between the grim slave-quarters and the elegant houses of the slave traders. Today it continues to serve as a reminder of human exploitation and as a sanctuary for reconciliation.

While it's impossible to know the exact number of enslaved Africans that passed through the "Door of No Return" on Île de Gorée in Dakar, Senegal, some sources suggest that only 26,000 enslaved Africans were recorded, while others claim that a much larger number, potentially 15-20 million, may have passed through the area. The actual point of departure for the enslaved Africans was believed to be a fort on the beach, 300 meters away from the House of Slaves. The House of Slaves itself is now a reconstructed building, originally used to hold enslaved people before they were shipped away.

Île de Gorée House of Slaves opened in 1962, this museum & memorial documents the history of the Atlantic slave trade. The "white monument" on Ile de Gorée refers to the House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves), which is a significant landmark and memorial to the Atlantic slave trade. It's a museum and memorial where enslaved Africans were held before being shipped to the Americas, and is now a place to remember the victims of the slave trade. The Door of No Return, located within the House of Slaves, is a particularly powerful symbol associated with this historical site.

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