Gorée Island

Gorée Island is a historic island located off the coast of Senegal’s capital, Dakar, which served as a strategic hub in the transatlantic slave trade from the 15th to the 19th century. Today, it is protected under the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its historical legacy. Throughout its history, the island came under the administrative control of Portugal, the Netherlands, England, and France in succession. Architectural structures such as slave houses where captives were held before transport and the “Door of No Return” facing the Atlantic Ocean preserve tangible remnants of the colonial era. With a current local population of approximately one thousand, the island functions as a memory site, hosting cultural productions such as artworks made from recycled materials and local sand art, alongside intensive international tourism activities. In the modern era, Gorée has remained a focal point of international cooperation through humanitarian aid initiatives and restoration requests for its historic mosque, carried out by civil society organizations in Türkiye.

Gorée Island (Anadolu Ajansı)

Geographical Location and Physical Characteristics

Gorée Island lies off the coast of West Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, directly opposite Dakar. It is 3.5 kilometers from Dakar Harbor. The island covers an area of 28 hectares. Its location at the intersection of routes and rivers extending into the African interior grants it strategic significance. This geographical position provides a natural harbor and shelter that allows ships to anchor safely.^【1】   

The island’s topography features a hill called Castel, which dominates the oceanfront. The settlement’s streets are sandy and closed to motorized traffic. The surrounding waters are deep, creating a natural buffer zone. The resident population ranges between 1,500 and 2,000 people. Ferry services connect Dakar to the island, taking between twenty minutes and half an hour.^【2】

History and Political Administration

Gorée Island was known by the local population as “Ber.” The Portuguese occupied the island in 1444 and named it “Ila de Palma.” In 1450, they built a small stone chapel, marking the beginning of permanent settlement. The Dutch seized control in 1588 and renamed it “Good Reed.” In 1617, the Dutch arrived and constructed two forts on the island. Throughout its history, administrative control of the island passed between the Portuguese, the Dutch, English, and French.^【3】 

France took control of the island in 1677 and gave it the name “Gorée,” meaning “good harbor.” The island came fully under French administration in 1840. In 1854, General Louis Faidherbe, appointed governor of Senegal, became the founder of France’s West African colony. In 1895, Senegalese territories were incorporated into French West Africa. During this period, the island served as a strategic transit and storage center for European powers.^【4】

During its political and administrative restructuring, in 1872 Gorée, along with Saint-Louis and Dakar, was granted full municipal status. French political dominance on the island lasted until Senegal declared its independence in 1960. After independence, the island remained within the borders of the Republic of Senegal and began to be administered at the local level as a municipality. In recognition of its historical significance, Gorée Island was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.^【5】

Transatlantic Slave Trade

Gorée Island Infographic (Anadolu Ajansı)

From the 15th to the 19th century, Gorée Island served as one of the largest centers of the transatlantic slave trade on the African coast.^【6】 During this period, approximately 20 million people from various regions of Africa were enslaved and transported to the continents of America and Europe.^【7】 This trade network was operated by Portugal, Spain, France, England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. Maritime organization of the trade was centered on ships departing from European ports including Nantes, Rochelle, Bordeaux, Liverpool, Bristol, Amsterdam, and Lisbon.^【8】

Twenty-eight slave houses were constructed on the island to detain captives before transport.^【9】 Captives brought from inland Africa were held in these houses for periods ranging from three to six months before embarking on transoceanic voyages.^【10】 Captives were chained together in cramped cells in a fish-stack formation. During sales, male captives were valued based on height, weight, and muscle condition, while women and children were assessed according to dental health and overall physical condition. Determined captives were sold to European traders in exchange for one kilogram of rice or potatoes.^【11】

Slave House (Anadolu Ajansı)

To prevent escape, iron balls weighing five kilograms were fastened to the captives’ necks and ankles. The deep waters surrounding the island formed a natural barrier, resulting in drowning for those attempting to flee.^【12】 Captives who rebelled or died while detained in the slave houses were thrown directly into the ocean. Those sold were loaded onto ships called “Tumberio,” meaning “graveyard” in Portuguese. During the approximately two-month journey to America and Europe, captives were stacked in enclosed compartments beneath the ships’ decks.^【13】 

During the slave trade, some captives perished due to the physical conditions of confinement, disease, and the voyage itself. For every enslaved person sold, nine others died during capture or in the ships’ holds. Those unable to endure the journey or who fell ill were thrown into the ocean; some captives chose to jump from the ships into the ocean to end their lives.^【14】 

Architectural Structures and Slave Houses

The architectural fabric of Gorée Island is characterized by the stark contrast between the areas where captives were held and the elegant homes of slave traders. Castel, a rocky plateau crowned with walls and dominating the island’s topography, is one of the region’s military defense structures. Among civil and administrative buildings is Relais de l’Espadon, formerly used as the residence of the French governor.

In terms of religious architecture, the small stone chapel built by the Portuguese in 1450 is among the island’s earliest settlement structures. The Gorée Mosque, constructed from volcanic basalt stone and opened for worship in 1892, is the oldest stone mosque in Senegal.

Slave Houses (Anadolu Ajansı)

During the colonial period, twenty-eight slave houses were constructed across the island to detain captives prior to shipment. The structure built in 1776 reflects the commercial operations and structural divisions of the era. This two-story building’s upper floor was used by European traders as living quarters and administrative space. The lower floor consisted of windowless, damp cells where African captives, chained together, waited for transport vessels.

Of the twenty-eight slave houses on the island, only one has been restored authentically and converted into the House of Slaves Museum. Inside the museum, cells where captives were held, the vessels they ate from, and the iron shackles worn on their hands and feet are displayed. In the basement of this building is a narrow passage leading directly to the Atlantic Ocean, known as the “Door of No Return.”

The Door of No Return

Within the architectural design of the basement of the House of Slaves, a narrow corridor leads directly from the windowless, damp walls to the Atlantic Ocean. This point, known as the “Door of No Return,” marks the final route where captives lost physical contact with African soil. This passage, opening onto the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, constitutes the ultimate boundary of the transatlantic slave trade’s shipping phase.

Today, individuals of African descent from America, the Caribbean, and Brazil visit this door. Visitors pause before it to pray and establish a spiritual connection with their ancestors. This space serves as a symbolic address for members of the African diaspora confronting their origins. The door is also a place where tourists from around the world stand silently, gazing at the ocean and connecting with the historical past.

The Door of No Return is included in official visit programs of international political figures. In 1991, Nelson Mandela visited this site. In 2013, then United States of America President Barack Obama stood before it with his family. These visits brought the site into the international public agenda and helped document the tangible connection between the African diaspora and their ancestral history on a global scale.^【15】 

Gorée Mosque

Gorée Mosque (Anadolu Ajansı)

The Gorée Mosque is located at the foot of Castel Hill on the Atlantic Ocean coast. It is the oldest stone mosque in Senegal. The mosque’s history began in 1825 when a Christian named Silmane Ngom donated his house for use by the island’s Muslims. The transformation of the building into a mosque took approximately forty years. Constructed from volcanic basalt stone, the mosque was opened for worship in 1892.^【16】

Interior of Gorée Mosque (Anadolu Ajansı)

Three-quarters of the island’s population are Muslims. The mosque’s physical capacity of one hundred worshippers is insufficient for Friday and holiday prayers. The religious structure, threatened by collapse due to coastal erosion, has remained standing thanks to a stone wall built by the local community. Despite being under UNESCO protection, no financial support is provided for the mosque; its expenses are covered by the municipal budget and voluntary donations. A request has been made to Türkiye for restoration to protect the mosque from coastal erosion, repair its structure, increase its capacity, and construct a madrasa adjacent to it.^【17】

UNESCO World Heritage Status and Conservation Efforts

Gorée Island was first designated a historic site by colonial authorities in 1944. Special conservation measures were implemented in 1951. The settlement was added to Senegal’s national heritage list by decree No. 012771 on November 17, 1975. In recognition of its historical significance and architectural features, Gorée Island was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.^【18】  

Gorée Island (Anadolu Ajansı)

The island’s physical integrity is supported by a natural buffer zone of approximately four kilometers provided by the Atlantic Ocean. Since 1944, large-scale construction activities that would negatively affect the settlement’s uniqueness have been prohibited. The fundamental components of the historic structures remain largely intact. Rehabilitation and restoration efforts have been conducted in accordance with the standards and principles of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.^【19】

Under conservation and management mechanisms, a Protection Committee was established by legal decree in 1979 to monitor compliance with convention principles. Administration of the island is shared among the municipality, the Cultural Heritage Department under the Senegalese Ministry of Culture, and the Bureau of Architectural Monuments (BAM). Local laws grant construction authority to the municipality, but consultation with the Cultural Heritage Department is mandatory to ensure compliance with standards. The presence of a World Heritage Site within a fully empowered municipality creates legal jurisdictional conflicts and administrative bottlenecks.^【20】

Maintaining the site’s status requires full compliance with international conservation principles. Inappropriate architectural modifications on the island risk the revocation of its UNESCO status. Inclusion in the Coalition of International Sites of Conscience enabled the island to receive international funding support through the Ford Foundation for its revitalization project. The Senegalese Cultural Heritage Department continues its efforts to preserve the island’s integrity under a comprehensive plan covering eight registered sites.

Cultural Life and Artistic Activities

Artistic Activities on Gorée Island (Anadolu Ajansı)

Gorée Island hosts various artistic activities in fields such as painting, music, and sculpture. Across the island, oil paintings depicting African life and daily existence, alongside region-specific designs, are produced. These artworks and souvenirs are sold to visiting tourists.

Artists on the island transform various waste materials, especially electronic devices, into artistic works. Mamadou Mbodji creates paintings symbolizing the island’s history of slavery and technological dependency using materials such as mobile phones, watches, calculators, cameras, spoons, forks, canned food containers, and soda caps. Mousa Gomis produces culturally themed artworks by repurposing discarded technological waste such as electrical fuses and plugs. This form of artistic production helps prevent environmental pollution by recycling waste.^【21】

Artistic Activities on Gorée Island (Anadolu Ajansı)

Chiekh Mbacke Sow practices sand art in his workshop, the Dougoub Gallery, located in the higher areas of the island. No paint is used in these artworks; colored sands from the Sahara Desert, Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegalese regions such as Saly, Casamance, Pink Lake, and Mamelles are utilized. The sands are fixed onto the ground using natural adhesives derived from acacia and baobab tree roots. These artworks record the island’s history, traces of slavery, baobab trees, traditional instruments, and daily life in Africa.^【22】 

Tourism and Symbolic Visits

Gorée Island is among Senegal’s most important tourism destinations. Accessible by ferry from Dakar Harbor, the island receives approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The average daily number of tourists ranges between 3,000 and 6,000. Educational school visits are organized as part of tourism activities, with nearly 1,500 students visiting daily. In addition to local and international tourists, the settlement serves as a symbolic center for members of the African diaspora from America, the Caribbean, and Brazil.^【23】 

Gorée Island (Anadolu Ajansı)

Various events are organized on the island within the framework of tourism and cultural activities. The “Gorée Regards sur cours” festival, beginning on May 29 and lasting three days, opens historic homes to visitors and exhibits handcrafted artworks. Beyond tourism, international humanitarian aid initiatives are conducted on the island.^【24】

The historic settlement has hosted official and symbolic international visits. Pope John Paul II visited the island in 1992 and offered an apology on behalf of Europe and the missionaries involved in the slave trade.^【25】 Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made official visits to the island. The then Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, visited the House of Slaves in 2013.

Postcolonial Period and Naming Debates

Since Senegal gained independence from France in 1960, the naming structure of streets on Gorée Island has largely retained colonial-era legacies. At least 90 percent of the island’s streets bear the names of former colonizers. Names such as Stanislas de Boufflers, who served as governor of Senegal for one year, French politician François Camel, and colonial-era sailor Louis Malavois remain on street signs today. Global debates over colonial symbols, sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police in the United States, have brought the fate of these street names back into public discourse.

Gorée Island (Anadolu Ajansı)

As a result of naming debates, several steps have been taken to address colonial-era legacies. The Gorée Municipal Council, by unanimous decision, renamed “Europe Square” on the island as “Freedom and Human Dignity Square.” In the broader context of similar debates across Senegal, Senegalese citizens have called for the removal of the statue of Louis Faidherbe, the former colonial governor, located in Saint-Louis, the former colonial capital.^【26】

Local authorities and researchers hold differing views on the presence of colonial names. Gorée Mayor Augustin Senghor defends retaining these names, arguing that erasing them would amount to erasing a chapter of human history. Historical names serve as concrete evidence and reminders against those who deny the reality of slavery. Academic Liora Bigon of the Holon Institute argues that decisions regarding renaming should be determined by the local population who use these streets daily.^【27】

Civil society organizations and activists advocate for the complete removal of colonial names. Cheick Fall, founder of the civil society organization Africtivites, demands replacing these names with those of individuals who served Africa. Fall cites the example of Ghana’s capital, Accra, where most roads are named after figures who contributed to the continent, and calls for the use of names such as Senegalese scientist Cheikh Anta Diop and former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade on local signage.^【28】

Türkiye and Gorée Island

Official and symbolic ties between Türkiye and Gorée Island gained momentum with the visit of then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the island in 2013. Erdoğan, accompanied by his wife Emine Erdoğan and a delegation, toured the House of Slaves, built in 1776 and used in the transatlantic slave trade, examining the cramped cells where captives were held and the iron shackles worn around their necks. During his visit, he wrote in his guestbook his belief that Africa “will emerge from its sorrowful suns and illuminate the world with hopeful ones.” In commemoration of this visit, the Gorée Municipal Council awarded him the title “Ambassador-at-Large” and the island’s symbolic anka bird insignia.^【29】 

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and His Wife Emine Erdoğan’s Visit to Gorée Island (Anadolu Ajansı)

Beyond political engagement, Türkiye’s civil society initiatives and humanitarian aid to the island have strengthened social ties between the two communities. Through the Diyanet Foundation and various civil society organizations, Türkiye delivers food supplies and sacrificial meat to the island’s population. These efforts go beyond material support, contributing to the spiritual healing of the island’s colonial legacy. Local residents, who have long worked as tour guides, state that among international visitors, only Turks come to the island for humanitarian purposes.^【30】

Türk activities on the island have contributed to a different perception among the local population compared to Western states. Officials at the House of Slaves emphasize that European actors historically facilitated human trafficking through the slave trade, while Türkiye has distinguished itself through humanitarian and development-focused initiatives. Similarly, local merchants approach European aid efforts with caution due to historical experiences, but evaluate Turkish aid within the framework of religious and cultural proximity, responding with a more positive attitude.^【31】

Another significant agenda item in Türkiye’s relationship with Gorée Island is the restoration of the island’s only Islamic place of worship, the historic Gorée Mosque. Due to coastal erosion threatening its collapse and its insufficient capacity for the congregation, Gorée Mayor Augustin Senghor has specifically appealed to Türkiye for assistance. In 2018, following a direct invitation from the island’s residents, then Turkish Ambassador to Senegal Nihat Civaner visited the mosque, listened to the congregation’s restoration requests, and documented the community’s expectations from Türkiye.^【32】