Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites
Location: Western Gambia
Year of Inscription: 2011
Criteria: (vi) be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
Overview: Kunta Kinteh Island, also known as James Island, is a small island located on the Gambia River in The Gambia. The island was an important center for the slave trade in West Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a place where Africans were captured, held, and sold to European slave traders. The island and its related sites are significant as a testimony to the Transatlantic slave trade and the history of the African Diaspora.
Prominent Features: Kunta Kinteh Island and its related sites are home to a number of significant features, including:
Fort James: A fort built by the British in 1651 to protect their trading interests in West Africa. The fort was later used as a center for the slave trade.
Slave Trade Relics: The island is home to a number of relics associated with the slave trade, including slave houses, dungeons, and a museum dedicated to the history of the African Diaspora.
Juffureh: A village on the mainland near Kunta Kinteh Island that is believed to be the ancestral home of Kunta Kinteh, a Gambian slave who was sold to European slave traders and transported to America.
History: Kunta Kinteh Island and its related sites have a long and complicated history. The island was an important center for the slave trade in West Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. Africans were captured, held, and sold to European slave traders who transported them to the Americas. The island and its related sites are significant as a testimony to the Transatlantic slave trade and the history of the African Diaspora.
Family-Friendly Activities: Families can visit the Kunta Kinteh Island and its related sites to learn about the history of the Transatlantic slave trade and the African Diaspora. They can explore the fort, see the relics associated with the slave trade, and visit Juffureh, the ancestral home of Kunta Kinteh.
Fun Fact: The island is named after Kunta Kinteh, a Gambian man who was captured and sold into slavery and later inspired the novel "Roots" by Alex Haley.
Entry Fees: The fee for non-residents is 250 Gambian dalasis (approximately 5 USD), while Gambian residents pay a reduced fee of 50 Gambian dalasis (approximately 1 USD). The fee includes a guided tour of the island and related sites.
How to Reach It: To get to Kunta Kinteh Island, visitors can take a ferry from the town of Barra on the north bank of the Gambia River. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes and costs around 75 Gambian dalasis (approximately 1.50 USD) for a round-trip ticket. Visitors can also hire private boats for a higher fee.
Where to Stay: There are a number of hotels and guesthouses in nearby towns and cities.
Fort James Island Camp: This is a camping site located on Fort James Island, just across from Kunta Kinteh Island. The campsite offers basic amenities such as tents, toilets, and showers.
Jinack Lodge: This lodge is located on Jinack Island, which is a short boat ride away from Kunta Kinteh Island. The lodge offers comfortable rooms with private bathrooms, a restaurant, and a bar.
Nemasu Eco-Lodge: This eco-lodge is located on the mainland, approximately 10 km from Kunta Kinteh Island. The lodge offers comfortable rooms, a restaurant, and a bar.
Janjanbureh Camp: This campsite is located on Janjanbureh Island, which is a short boat ride away from Kunta Kinteh Island. The campsite offers basic amenities such as tents, toilets, and showers.
Next Stop: Stone Circles of Senegambia
Year of Inscription: 2011
Criteria: (vi) be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
Overview: Kunta Kinteh Island, also known as James Island, is a small island located on the Gambia River in The Gambia. The island was an important center for the slave trade in West Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a place where Africans were captured, held, and sold to European slave traders. The island and its related sites are significant as a testimony to the Transatlantic slave trade and the history of the African Diaspora.
Prominent Features: Kunta Kinteh Island and its related sites are home to a number of significant features, including:
Fort James: A fort built by the British in 1651 to protect their trading interests in West Africa. The fort was later used as a center for the slave trade.
Slave Trade Relics: The island is home to a number of relics associated with the slave trade, including slave houses, dungeons, and a museum dedicated to the history of the African Diaspora.
Juffureh: A village on the mainland near Kunta Kinteh Island that is believed to be the ancestral home of Kunta Kinteh, a Gambian slave who was sold to European slave traders and transported to America.
History: Kunta Kinteh Island and its related sites have a long and complicated history. The island was an important center for the slave trade in West Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. Africans were captured, held, and sold to European slave traders who transported them to the Americas. The island and its related sites are significant as a testimony to the Transatlantic slave trade and the history of the African Diaspora.
Family-Friendly Activities: Families can visit the Kunta Kinteh Island and its related sites to learn about the history of the Transatlantic slave trade and the African Diaspora. They can explore the fort, see the relics associated with the slave trade, and visit Juffureh, the ancestral home of Kunta Kinteh.
Fun Fact: The island is named after Kunta Kinteh, a Gambian man who was captured and sold into slavery and later inspired the novel "Roots" by Alex Haley.
Entry Fees: The fee for non-residents is 250 Gambian dalasis (approximately 5 USD), while Gambian residents pay a reduced fee of 50 Gambian dalasis (approximately 1 USD). The fee includes a guided tour of the island and related sites.
How to Reach It: To get to Kunta Kinteh Island, visitors can take a ferry from the town of Barra on the north bank of the Gambia River. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes and costs around 75 Gambian dalasis (approximately 1.50 USD) for a round-trip ticket. Visitors can also hire private boats for a higher fee.
Where to Stay: There are a number of hotels and guesthouses in nearby towns and cities.
Fort James Island Camp: This is a camping site located on Fort James Island, just across from Kunta Kinteh Island. The campsite offers basic amenities such as tents, toilets, and showers.
Jinack Lodge: This lodge is located on Jinack Island, which is a short boat ride away from Kunta Kinteh Island. The lodge offers comfortable rooms with private bathrooms, a restaurant, and a bar.
Nemasu Eco-Lodge: This eco-lodge is located on the mainland, approximately 10 km from Kunta Kinteh Island. The lodge offers comfortable rooms, a restaurant, and a bar.
Janjanbureh Camp: This campsite is located on Janjanbureh Island, which is a short boat ride away from Kunta Kinteh Island. The campsite offers basic amenities such as tents, toilets, and showers.
Next Stop: Stone Circles of Senegambia