History of Inhambane

When Vasco da Gama rounded Africa in the late 15th century he pulled into Inhambane to replenish stocks and to explore. He took an immediate liking to Inhambane and named it Terra de Boa Gente or 'Land of the Good People'. In 1505, a ship sent by Francisco de Almeida was shipwrecked south of the town, but the Portuguese gained an initial meeting with the Karanga chiefs. Later, their sons landed on Mozambique Island to survey the situation. The Portuguese eventually established a permanent trading post at settlement in 1534. Inhambane was then chosen as the first Jesuit mission to East Africa in 1560.

The port gradually grew as an ivory and slave trading centre, particularly in the eighteenth century under mostly Indian control. It was destroyed in 1834 by Soshangane, but grew rapidly in the second half of the century as a town of Portuguese East Africa. The old cathedral and old mosque was built during that period. However, in the 20th century the status of the town declined and the economic situation worsened as Maputo (called Lourenço Marques before 1975) became the main centre.

The 170 year old Cathedral of our Lady of Conception is located in the old quarter of the city