National Museum of Slavery
Museu Nacional da Escravatura
Set in a chapel of a 17th-century slave-trading merchant's estate, it tells the story of millions of Angolans shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas.
The National Museum of Slavery stands on a hill by the sea at Morro da Cruz, about 25 km south of the city centre. Its small white chapel once belonged to the estate of a major 18th-century slave trader, and captives were baptised here before being taken aboard ships bound for Brazil and elsewhere. The museum is modest in size, displaying shackles, chains, maps and documents that explain Angola's role in the transatlantic slave trade. The region was among the largest sources of enslaved Africans sent to the Americas. Admission is cheap, and the museum is closed on Mondays. It can be combined with the Miradouro da Lua viewpoint and the Mussulo peninsula on the same southern route.
Opening hours
Tue–Sat approx. 9:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Mussulo Peninsula
- Benfica Craft Market
- Mausoleum of Agostinho Neto
- National Museum of Anthropology
- Cathedral of Our Lady of Remedies
- Fortress of São Miguel
- Church of Our Lady of Carmo
- National Museum of Natural History