Salvador de Bahia
The Brazilian city with the largest number of Candomble terreiros, the communities of an Afro-Brazilian religion, many of them centuries old.
Practised and told of here
Best time: January to February for the festivals.
Salvador was a centre of the Atlantic slave trade, and many Yoruba, Fon and Bantu people were brought there. From the early nineteenth century they founded houses of worship called terreiros. Casa Branca, set up by about 1830, is the oldest known and was listed as national heritage in 1984.
Candomble
Candomble worships orixas, spirits linked to nature and ancestry, through drumming, dance and possession. It was persecuted by police until the 1970s. Its priestesses, called mae-de-santo, have long been central, and women lead many houses.
Syncretism
As in Cuba, orixas were matched with Catholic saints. On 2 February thousands bring white flowers to the sea for Iemanja, and on the Lavagem do Bonfim in January white-clad women wash the church steps in a mix of faiths.
Visiting
Public ceremonies are open at some terreiros. Visitors dress in white or plain clothes, do not photograph without permission and do not treat the possession as a show. The Museu Afro-Brasileiro explains the religion.
A respectful visit to Salvador de Bahia
Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.
- Museu Afro-Brasileiro Start with the museum.
- A terreiro's public festival Go only on invitation or on a public day.
- Rio Vermelho beach Join the flowers for Iemanja on 2 February.
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Salvador, Bahia" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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