Travelling to Sierra Leone FAQ

Sierra Leone was recently featured on Time Magazine annual’s list of World’s Greatest Places of 2023, therefore these are answers to some frequently asked questions. Below are some important information as you make way to this beautiful country. 1. Visa You will need a visa to travel to Sierra Leone. Passengers with an ECOWAS passport […]

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Must-see Historical Places in Makeni

Makeni is a city located in the Bombali District of Northern Sierra Leone with a whole lot of places for a memorable experience in the city . Here is a list of places to visit if you really want to maximize your stay in Makeni:    Makeni Cotton Tree: Located at the heart of the […]

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York

York is a distinctly Krio village with a rich history though the village also comprises of various other tribes. Prior to the arrival of the liberated slaves, the Sherbro were settled in the area and the village as called Momimi. York village is over 200 years old, predominantly Christian with old churches and beautiful layout […]

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St John’s Maroon Church

This church was built by the Maroons who arrived in the colony in 1800 as black returnees from Jamaica who were reputed to be accomplished stone masons. It is thought they converted to Christianity through the influence of the Nova Scotians who were already in the Colony. The church erected in 1822, was seen as […]

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The Wharf Steps and Old Guard House

These flights of stone steps are one of the stone architecture erected during the governorship of Governor Charles Macarthy. They lead down from Wallace Johnson Street and were completed in 1818. They are often wrongly referred to as the “Portuguese Steps”. The Guard House at the top of the steps was built in 1819.

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St George’s Cathedral

As the drive to make the Sierra Leone Colony a Christian community continued, Governor Maxwell sent a memo to the Secretary of State for the colonies requesting the construction of a church to serve as a place of worship for the citizens. The foundation was laid in 1817 by Governor MacCarthy and construction was complete […]

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St Charles’ Church, Regent

As the Liberated African Villages grew, it was decided that structures had to be established to cater for the spiritual and educational welfare of the emerging communities. The government agreed to finance the construction of schools and churches. In 1816, the government financed the building of a stone church the Regent, one of the Liberated […]

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The Gateway to the Old King’s Yard

After the Abolition Act had come into effect and Sierra Leone had become a British Colony, the Navy were mostly involved in trying to intercept the still on-going Slave Traffic.  One of the most effective vessels charged with this responsibility was ironically a former slave vessel itself, the Black Joke, formerly called the Henriquita. Captured […]

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The Martello Tower

Due to frequent attacks on Freetown in the 19th century by the Temne under the leadership of King Tom, the government became nervy about future attacks on the colony. The governor of the day instructed that a Martello Tower be built on the top of Tower Hill as a defence mechanism. Similar structures were a […]

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Three Old City Boundary Guns

Probably from a condemned slave ship, the Three Old Boundary Cannons were half buried in the ground to mark the boundaries of old Freetown. Vertically positioned with their muzzles pointing upwards they were put in this position to avoid people sitting on them.

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