Take a Janjanbureh Town Tour
Discover the Rich History of Janjanbureh
A town tour explores the island’s history, from its early days as Lemain Island, a 16th-17th century trading post, to its renaming as Janjanbureh—possibly after brothers Janjang and Bureh. Though largely uninhabited, traders used it until the British purchased it in April 1823.
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To prevent warfare from driving traders away, Captain Grant secured the island for trade and anti-slavery efforts, granting land to the Wesleyan Mission in 1824. He renamed it McCarthy Island after Sierra Leone’s Governor-in-Chief and the town, Georgetown after King George Vth.
Discover the arrival of liberated slaves from the West Indies in 1832 and the harsh conditions that led to the construction of the first Sub-Saharan Methodist Church in 1835.
‘The whole island is sandy desert with intervals of mangrove swamp where every noxious inhalation that can arise from vegetable decay must be emitted….
of all the places selected this was the most unfitted, and the consequence has been that
in no place where they have been located has their condition been more unfortunate’ CD1843.6
In 1835 local Pastor Thomas Dove reporting them having to
'eat monkeys, rats, snakes, dogs and cats.
Explore the island’s legacy of emancipation at ‘The Freedom Tree Monument’ or
‘Foroyaa Sooto,’ where our guide Kebba Sarjo will provide deep insights.
Then visit ‘The Slave House’ to reflect on this dark past and make your own judgement.
Learn about the importance of education as you pass the renowned Armitage School, established in 1927, the one boarding school in The Gambia attended by several sons of chiefs but soon changed to accept others.
Uncover the Importance of the Tinyan Sita Tree
Located to the east of the town the Tinyan Sita tree is of huge significance to the deep rooted culture of the island. It is where circumcision ceremonies and other rituals associated with initiation to manhood take place.
It is also the site of the Annual Kankurang Festival.
Unveil the Mysteries of the Kankurang –
Guided by Musa in The Kankurang Museum
In the same area is the Kankurang Museum which is bringing the mystical Kankurang to life! This UNESCO-recognized tradition, rooted in Mandinka initiation rites, is both protector and enforcer. Through captivating exhibits of the varied masquerades , artefacts, and storytelling, the museum immerses visitors in one of The Gambia’s most powerful cultural symbols.
The curator Musa Foon
is one of the first trained guides.
