La Maison d'Esclaves

"Those you told you "Gorée is an island"/ They lied/ This island is not only an island/ She is a continent of spirit."

During our trip to L’île de Gorée we took a tour of La Maison des Esclaves (the slave house). The perimeter of the island used to be surrounded by houses, but UNESCO has preserved one house for a memorial. It was a very somber tour despite the seemingly quaint appearance of the house.

The bottom floor was used for cells and the top floor was the guest house for slave traders.

There were separate cells for men, women, and children.

Men that weighed less than 60 kilos were placed in a feeding cell quickly gain weight before crossing the Atlantic. If after a while they still hadn't gained weight, there were set free to work as domestic servants on the island.

There were also separate cells for young, virgin women. It was the only cell that had a bathroom. Virgins had a price for both their virginity and themselves. If they became pregnant, they were set free to work on the island and known as Senoras. Their children were métisse and became upperclass.

The rectangular stone covers the hole for the bathroom.

Punishment cell

A small cell that they would have to spend 1-2 days in. When Nelson Mandela visited the site, he sat in the cell. Upon the liberation of slaves, a hole was cut in the punishment cell to symbolize light.

The window of the punishment cell

The door of no return

Slaves that were punished or sick walked through the door and never returned

Upstairs served as the guest house

Comments from notable individuals who visited the site