Dar es Salaam (Arabic: Dr as-Salm, literally "The harbour of peace"), formerly

Mzizima, is Tanzania's largest and richest city and a regionally important economic centre. It is
the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region administrative province and consists of three local
government areas or administrative districts: northern Kinondoni, central Ilala, and southern
Temeke. The region had a population of 4,364,541 as of the official 2012 census.[1]:page: 2
Although Dar es Salaam lost its status as the nation's capital to Dodoma in 1974 (not completed
until 1996), it remains the locus of the permanent central government bureaucracy.

In the 19th century, Mzizima (Kiswahili for "healthy town") was a coastal fishing village on the
periphery of Indian Ocean trade routes.[2][3] In 1865 or 1866, Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar
began building a new city very close to Mzizima[3] and named it Dar es Salaam. The name is
commonly translated as "abode/home of peace", based on the Arabic dar ("house"), and the
Arabic es salaam ("of peace").[3] Dar es Salaam fell into decline after Majid's death in 1870, but
was revived in 1887 when the German East Africa Company established a station there. The
town's growth was facilitated by its role as the administrative and commercial centre of German
East Africa and industrial expansion resulting from the construction of the Central Railway Line in
the early 1900s.
German East Africa was captured by the British during World War I and became Tanganyika, with
Dar es Salaam the administrative and commercial centre. Under British indirect rule, separate
European (e.g., Oyster Bay) and African (e.g., Kariakoo and Ilala) areas developed at a distance
from the city centre. The city's population also included a large number of south Asians. After
World War II, Dar es Salaam experienced a period of rapid growth.
Political developments, including the formation and growth of the Tanganyika African National
Union, led to Tanganyika attaining independence from colonial rule in December 1961. Dar es
Salaam continued to serve as its capital, even when in 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to
form Tanzania. In 1973, however, provisions were made to relocate the capital to Dodoma, a
more centrally located city in the interior. The relocation process has not yet been completed, and
Dar es Salaam remains Tanzania's primary city
Dar es Salaam has two of the five museums comprising the National Museum of Tanzania
consortium, namely the National Museum proper and the Village Museum. The National Museum
is dedicated to the history of Tanzania; most notably, it exhibits some of the bones of
Paranthropus boisei that were among the findings of Louis Leakey at Olduvai. The Village
Museum, located in the outskirts of the city on the road to Bagamoyo, showcases traditional huts
from 16 different Tanzanian ethnic groups. There are also examples of traditional cultivations, and
traditional music and dance shows are held daily.
Close to the National Museum are also the botanical gardens, with some specimens of tropical
plants and trees.
There are beaches on the Msasani peninsula north of Dar es Salaam and in Kigamboni to the
south where residents and tourists alike frequently visit. Trips to the nearby islands of the Dar es
Salaam Marine Reserve are a popular daytrip from the city and a favourite spot for snorkeling,
swimming and sunbathing. In addition to that, Bongoyo Island can be reached by boat from the
Msasani Slipway.
Art[edit]
The main gate of Nyumba ya Sanaa, with decorations by Tanzanian sculptor George Lilanga

Dar es Salaam (and specifically the area of Oyster Bay) is home to the popular Tingatinga
painting style. The Nyumba ya sanaa ("House of Art") is a well-known cultural centre, workshop
and shop dedicated to Tanzanian art, showcasing and promoting Tanzanian craftmanship.
Prominent Tanzania sculptor George Lilanga has contributed to the centre some of his works,
including decorations of the building's main entrance.
Universities[edit]
The University of Dar es Salaam is the oldest and 2nd largest public university in Tanzania after
University of Dodoma. It is located in the western part of the city, occupying 1,625 acres (6.58
km2) on the observation hill, 13 km (8 mi) from the city centre. The university has approximately
16,400 undergraduate and 2,700 postgraduate students.[16]
Ardhi University had 2,457 undergraduate and 156 postgraduate students in 2010/2011. The
university offers two-year diploma programmes in the fields of land surveying and land
management and valuation. A three-year diploma program in urban and rural planning has been
introduced.[17]
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences has two campuses; Muhimbili Campus and
Mloganzila Campus. Muhimbili Campus is situated in Ilala Municipality, in Upanga along United
Nations Road. Mloganzila Campus is still new and in the process of development and it occupies
3,800 acres (15 km2) and is located 3 km (2 mi) off Dar es Salaam-Morogoro highway, 25 km (16
mi) from Dar es Salaam.[18]
The Open University of Tanzania is a fully fledged and accredited public institution of higher
learning, mandated to conduct academic programmes leading to certificates, diplomas,
undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Since it was founded, the university has enrolled
students from Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Hungary, Burundi, Libya, Ethiopia, Rwanda,
Saudi Arabia, Lesotho, Botswana and most of Tanzania. As of 2008, the total enrollment at the
university was 44,099, the majority of whom wereTanzanian.[19]
The Hubert Kairuki Memorial University is a private institution located on plot No. 322 Regent
Estate in the Mikocheni area, some 7-km from the Dar es Salaam City centre, off Ali Hassan
Mwinyi and Old Bagamoyo roads.[20]
The International Medical and Technological University is a privately owned institute of higher
education institution operating in Dar es Salaam.[21]
The Kampala International Universitybegan operations in 2009 operating from Quality Plaza
along Pugu road.Currently, the University Centre is situated on a 60 acres (240,000 m2) of land,
at Gongo la Mboto area in Ilala District, 7 km (4 mi) from Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International
Airport along Pugu road
Kinondoni[edit]
Kinondoni is the most populated amongst the districts, with half of the city's population residing
within it. It is also home to many of the high-income suburbs. These include:
Masaki, Oysterbay and Ada Estate are the posh suburbs located along the central beach. During
the Colonial Era, they were the major European suburbs of the city. Now, similarly, many
diplomats and expatriates reside in these areas. Oysterbay Beach, also known as Coco Beach, is
the only white sandy beach in Kinondoni and is the most famous in the area. Many newly built
luxury apartments line the waterfront, accommodating the rapid growth of foreigners, mostly
Europeans and Asians.
Mikocheni and Regent Estate are also suburbs within the district. According to the 2012 census,
the Mikocheni ward had a population of 32,947.[1]:page: 75 Mikocheni is the home of some major
political figures, including the first president of Tanzania, Julius K. Nyerere and opposition party
leader, Freeman Mbowe.
Msasani is a peninsula to the northeast of the city center. It is home to many of the expatriates
from the United Kingdom and other western countries that live in Dar es Salaam. Msasani
contains a mixture of traditional shops and western-oriented resorts and stores.
Mbezi Beach is the beachfront suburb located along the northern Dar es Salaam Beach. It is

noted for its beautiful beaches with several tourist hotels, and also as the place of residence of
many people of high social status and some politicians.
Sinza, Kijitonyama, Magomeni, Kinondoni and Mwenge are more ethnically mixed than the areas
mentioned above. These were perhaps the earliest African suburbs to be occupied. The wards
also have the most prosperous business climate outside of the central business district, with
many shops, bars, restaurants and inexpensive hotels located here.
Kimara and Mbezi Louis are hilly, mostly upper class, suburbs far from the city. Due to the
distance from the city center, it is quieter, with cooler weather.
Manzese, Tandale, Mwananyamala-Kisiwani and Kigogo are considered low-income
neighborhoods characterized by poor settlement planning, low quality housing and social
services.