Freedom Tree
Foroyaa Yiro
An old tree near the Slave House, said by legend to grant freedom to escaped slaves who touched it, and a common stop on local history tours.
The Freedom Tree stands on the riverbank near the Slave House, and its local name means 'Tree of Freedom'. Legend holds that after Britain abolished the slave trade, enslaved people fleeing from inland could gain their freedom just by touching this tree, so it has become a standard stop on Janjanbureh's history tours. The original tree was old, and the current one is a later replacement with a memorial plaque. The site itself offers little to see; it is mainly about hearing the story. Visiting it together with the Slave House takes about 10 minutes.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Slave House
- Janjanbureh Old Town (MacCarthy Island)
- Kunkilling Forest Park
- Bansang Quarry
- Kuntaur
- Wassu Stone Circles
- River Gambia National Park (Baboon Islands)
- Kerr Batch Stone Circles