World Heritage Identification Number: 761
World Heritage since: 2003
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇬🇲 Gambia
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
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Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites: A Testimony to the Encounter Between Africa and Europe Along the River Gambia
The Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, offer a compelling narrative that reflects the historical relationship between Africa and Europe along the River Gambia. This site spans various epochs, from pre-colonial and pre-slavery times to independence, providing a unique perspective on the continent's interaction with European powers.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
James Island and Related Sites present a testimony to the main periods and facets of the encounter between Africa and Europe along the River Gambia, a continuum stretching from pre-colonial and pre-slavery times to independence. The site is particularly significant for its relation to the beginning of the slave trade and its abolition. It also documents early access to the interior of Africa.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion iii: James Island and Related Sites on the River Gambia provide an exceptional testimony to the different facets of the African-European encounter, from the 15th to 20th centuries. The River Gambia formed the first trade route into the interior of Africa and became an early corridor for the slave trade. Criterion vi: James Island and Related Sites, the villages and the batteries, were directly and tangibly associated with the beginning and the conclusion of the slave trade, retaining its memory related to the African Diaspora.
Encyclopedia Record: Kunta Kinteh Island
Kunta Kinteh Island, formerly called James Island and St Andrew's Island, is an island in the Gambia River, 30 km (19 mi) from the river mouth and near Juffureh in the Republic of the Gambia. Fort James is located on the island. It is less than 3.2 km from Albreda on the river's northern bank. As an important historical site in the West African slave trade, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with related sites including a ruined Portuguese chapel and a colonial warehouse in Albreda, the Maurel Frères Building in Juffureh, and Fort Bullen and Six-Gun Battery, which are located at the mouth of the Gambia River.Additional Site Details
Area: 7.5981 hectares
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 13.31616667 , -16.35719444
Image
© Jose Canedo, CC BY-SA 1.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
