Centralization as a capital, along with Portuguese colonization, were important factors in shaping the profile of the municipality, as were certain geographic characteristics. The construction of the city followed the uneventopography, initially with the formation of two levels—Upper Town (Cidade Alta) and Lower Town (Cidade Baixa)—on a steepescarpment, and later with the conception of valley avenues. With 692,818 square kilometers (267,499 sq mi) in area, its emerged territory ispeninsular, and the coast is bordered by theBay of All Saints to the west and theAtlantic Ocean to the east. TheHistoric Center of Salvador, iconized on the outskirts ofPelourinho, is known for its colonial architecture, with historical monuments dating from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century, and was declared aWorld Heritage Site byUNESCO in 1985. The stage of one of thebiggest Carnivals in the world (the biggest street party in the world, according to theGuinness World Records), the integration of the municipality to the UNESCO'sCreative Cities Network as the "City of Music", a unique title in the country, added to the international recognition of Salvador's music.
With more than 2.4 million inhabitants as of 2020, it is the most populous municipality in the Northeast, the fifth most populous in Brazil, and the ninth largest Latin American city. It is the core of themetropolitan area known as "Great Salvador", which had an estimated 3,957,123 inhabitants in 2020 according to theBrazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). This makes it the second most populous metropolitan area in the Northeast, theseventh in Brazil, and one of thelargest in South America. Also due to these urban-population dimensions, it is classified by the IBGE study on theBrazilian urban network as a regionalmetropolis. In its reports for the years 2014 and 2020, the Research Network of Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) classified Salvador as aglobal city in the "Sufficiency" category (the smallest). Global city surveys by consultancy Kearney also included Salvador in the 2018 and 2020 annual reports, while excluding it in the 2019.
The economic center of the state, Salvador is also aport city, administrative and tourist center. Its metropolitan region has the highest GDP among urban concentrations in the Northeast. In 2018, it had the second-highestgross domestic product (GDP) among Northeastern municipalities. Furthermore, it is the headquarters of important regional, national and international companies, such asNovonor,Braskem, Neoenergy Coelba, andSuzano Papel e Celulose. In addition to companies, the city hosts or has hosted many cultural, political, educational, sports events and organizations, such as theBahia State University, theFederal University of Bahia, the Brazilian Army Complementary Training School, the Brazilian Surfing Confederation, the 12thUnited Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (in 2010), the thirdIbero-American Summit (in 1993), the 2003 Pan-American Judo Championship, the second Conference of Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora (in 2006),[8] the1989 Copa América, the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the2014 FIFA World Cup, andGroup E of thewomen's football tournament in the2016 Summer Olympics.
The present city was established as the fortress ofSão Salvador da Bahia deTodos os Santos ("Holy Savior of the Bay of All Saints")[16][n 1] in 1549 byPortuguese settlers underTomé de Sousa,Brazil's firstgovernor-general.[19] It is one of the oldest cities founded byEuropeans in theAmericas.[20] From a cliff overlooking the Bay of All Saints,[n 2] it served asBrazil's first capital and quickly became a major port for itsslave trade andsugarcane industry.[22] Salvador was long divided into an upper and a lower city, divided by a sharp escarpment some 85 meters (279 ft) high.[23] The upper city formed the administrative, religious, and primary residential districts while the lower city was the commercial center, with a port and market.
Monument dedicated to the heroes of the battles of Bahia's independence from Portugal in theCampo Grande Square
In 1763, the colonial administration was removed toRio de Janeiro and elevated to aviceroyalty. Salvador remained the heart of theRecôncavo, Bahia's rich agricultural maritime district,[29] but was largely outside Brazil's early modernization. The area formed a center of royal Portuguese support against heir apparentPedro I'sdeclaration of independence from European Portugal on 7 September 1822. Its elites initially remained loyal to thePortuguese crown[18] while rebels fromCachoeirabesieged them for a year until finally receiving Portugal's surrender of the town on 2 July 1823, which is now celebrated as Bahia Independence Day.[30] The local elite was similarly hesitant duringManuel Deodoro da Fonseca's later coup that established therepublic in 1889.[18]
Owing to whales' use of theBay of All Saints as a mating ground, Salvador became a largewhaling port in theSouthern Hemisphere during the 19th century but the trade had already begun to fall off by the 1870s.[17]
Under theempire andrepublic periods, however, the town slowly began to industrialize. In 1873, Brazil's first elevator, the powerful hydraulicElevador Lacerda, was constructed to connect the city's upper and lower towns.[17] Having undergone several upgrades, it continues in use.[31][32] By theFirst World War, it was joined by a second elevator[n 5] and Salvador was connected to fourrailroads: theBahia & Alagoinhas toJoazeiro, theBahia Central, theNazareth Tramway, and a short line toSanto Amaro.[18] Its central districts and the major suburbs of Bomfim and Victoria were served byfour streetcar lines,[17][18] which had begun to electrify.[18] It also served as aport of call for moststeamship lines trading between Europe and South America.[18]
In 1985,UNESCO listed the city'sPelourinho neighborhood as aWorld Heritage Site.[33][34] In the 1990s, a major municipal project cleaned and restored the neighborhood in order to develop it as the cultural center and heart of the city's tourist trade. The development of theHistorical Center, however, involved the forced removal of thousands of working-class residents and now necessitates local and municipal events in order to attract people to the area.[35] The relocated workers, meanwhile, have encountered significant economic hardship in their new homes on the city's periphery, separated from access to work and civic amenities.[36]
Salvador has a trade-windtropical rainforest climate (Köppen:Af). Temperatures are relatively consistent, showing little variance throughout the course of the year.[40] Salvador's driest months of the year are December and January, when the city receives on average less than 10 cm (4 in) of precipitation. Salvador's wettest months are April, May and June, when at least 20 cm (8 in) of rain falls during each of these three months.[41]
Climate data for Salvador (Bahia) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present
Rio Vermelho and Horto Florestal neighborhoodsView of Farol daBarra LighthouseLuís Viana Avenue (also known as Paralela Avenue). It connects the Financial Center to the North Zone of city (airport).
In 2010, the city of Salvador was the third-most populous city inBrazil, afterSão Paulo andRio de Janeiro.[49] Currently, Salvador is the 5th largest city in Brazil in terms of population.[50] The city had 474,827 opposite-sex couples and 1,595same-sex couples. The population of Salvador was 53.3% female and 46.7% male.[51]
According to the2022 census, there were 2,417,678 people residing in the city of Salvador.[52] The census revealed the following self-identification: 1,186,416 persons identify asPardo (Multiracial) (49.1%); 825,509 asBlack (34.1%); 398,688 asWhite (16.5%); and 4,395 asAmerindian (0.2%); 2,605 asAsian (0.1%).[53]
Salvador's population is the result of 500 years ofinterracial marriage. The majority of the population has African, European and Native American roots. The African ancestry of the city is fromBenin,Angola,Congo,Senegal andMozambique.[54]
According to anautosomal DNA study from 2008, the ancestral heritage of the population of Salvador was estimated to be 49.2%African, 36.3%European and 14.5%Native American.[56] The study also analyzed the genetic backgrounds of people by type of surname. Those with surnames with a religious connotation were 53.1% African in genetic ancestry and tended to be in lower economic classes. During the colonial era, it was typical practice for Portuguese priests and missionaries to baptize converted African slaves and Native Americans with surnames of religious connotations. These have been passed down to their descendants.
A 2015 autosomal DNA study found out the following ancestral composition in Salvador: 50.5% of African ancestry, 42.4% of European ancestry and 5.8% of Native American ancestry.[57] The researchers explained they oversampled individuals living in poor environments (page 4).[57]
Another 2015 autosomal DNA found out Salvador to be 50.8% African, 42.9% European and 6.4% Native American.[58]
And another autosomal DNA study, also in 2015, found out Salvador to be: 50.8% European, 40.5% African and 8.7% Native American.[59]
In Salvador, religion is a major contact point between Portuguese and African influences and, in the last 20 years, Brazil's version of a North American-influenced Pentecostalism.[61] Salvador was the seat of the firstbishopric in colonial Brazil (established 1551), and the first bishop,Pero Fernandes Sardinha, arrived already in 1552.[62] TheJesuits, led by theManuel da Nóbrega, also arrived in the 16th century and worked in converting theIndigenous peoples of the region to RomanCatholicism.
Many religious orders came to the city, following its foundation:Franciscans,Benedictines andCarmelites. Subsequently, to them are created the Third Orders, the Brotherhoods, and Fraternities, which were composed mainly of professional and social groups. The most prominent of these orders were the Terceira do Carmo Order and the de São Francisco Order, founded by white men, and the Nossa Senhora do Rosário and São Beneditino Brotherhoods, composed of black men.[63] In many churches maintained by religious men, were housed the Santíssimo Sacramento brotherhoods.
Capilla de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Solar do Unhão Salvador Bahía
Besides these organizations, the expansion ofCatholicism in the city was consolidated through social care work. Santa Casa the Misericórdia was one of the institution that did this kind of work, maintaining hospitals, shelters for the poor and the elderly, as well providing assistance to convicts and to those who would face death penalties.[63] Theconvents, on their part, were cultural and religious formation centers, offering seminar coursed that often were attended by the lay.
Even with the present evolution, and the growth ofProtestantism and other religions in the city, the Catholic faith remains as one of its most distinctive features, drawing a lot of people to its hundreds of churches. Some aspects, like the use of Portuguese in the Masses, the simplification of the liturgy, and the adoption of "pop"religioussongs are key factors to the triumph ofCatholicism. In the Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos Church, Masses are held in theYorùbá language, making use of African chants and typical clothes, which attract many people from theAfrican Brazilian communities.[63]
Most enslaved Africans in Bahia were brought fromSub-Saharan Africa, especially theYorùbá-speaking nation (Iorubá orNagô in Portuguese) from present-dayBenin. The enslaved were forced to convert to Roman Catholicism, but their original religionYorùbá was combined with Roman Catholicism to make the syncretic religion known as,Candomblé, which has survived in spite of prohibitions and persecutions. The enslaved Africans managed to preserve their religion by attributing the names and characteristics of their Yorùbá deities to Catholic saints with similar qualities. Still today all Candomble sessions are conducted in Yoruba, not Portuguese.
The religious house that holds the Afro-Brazilian goddess Yemanjá in Salvador.
These religious entities have been syncretised with some Catholic entities. For instance, Salvador'sFeast of Bonfim, celebrated in January, is dedicated to both Our Lord of Bonfim (Jesus Christ) and Oxalá. Another important feast is the Feast de Yemanja every 2 February, on the shores of the borough of Rio Vermelho in
Salvador, on the day the church celebrates Our Lady of the Navigators. 8 December, Immaculate Conception Day for Catholics, is also commonly dedicated to Yemanja' with votive offerings made in the sea throughout the Brazilian coast.[citation needed]
ThroughoutBrazilian history Salvador has played an important role. Because of its location on Brazil's northeastern coast, the city served as an important link in thePortuguese empire throughout thecolonial era, maintaining close commercial ties withPortugal and Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia.[65]
Salvador remained the preeminent city in Brazil until 1763 when it was replaced as the national capital byRio de Janeiro. In the last ten years many high-rise office and apartment buildings were constructed, sharing the same blocks with colonial-era housing or commercial buildings.[66]
Salvador is the second most popular tourism destination in Brazil, afterRio de Janeiro.[67] Tourism and cultural activity are important generators of employment and income, boosting the arts and the preservation of artistic and cultural heritage.
Chief among the points of interest are its famousPelourinho (named after the colonialpillories that once stood there) district, its historic churches,[68] and its beaches. Salvador's tourism infrastructure is considered one of the most modern in the World, especially in terms of lodging. The city offers accommodation to suit all tastes and standards, from youth hostels to international hotels. Construction is one of the most important activities in the city, and many international (mainly from Spain,Portugal and England)[69] and national developers are investing in the city and in the Bahianlittoral zone.
JAC Motors will have a plant in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador, in the city of Camaçari, the new industry will result 3,500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs, the production of 100,000 vehicles by year.[70]
In December 2001,Monsanto Company inaugurated, at the Petrochemical Pole of Camaçari, in Metropolitan Region of Salvador, the first plant of the company designed to produce raw materials for theherbicideRoundup inSouth America. The investment is equivalent to US$500 million; US$350 million were spent in this initial phase. The Camaçari Plant, the largest unit of Monsanto outside of the United States, is also the only Monsanto plant manufacturing raw materials for the Roundup production line. The company started the civil works for the new plant in January 2000.[71]
Salvador's history as the first political capital of Brazil and as the capital of Bahia has meant that the city has historically exerted significant influence of both state and federal politics. Because of its importance as the largest port for imported slaves in Brazil, its early political history was dominated by a conservative slaveholding class. Bahia was a monarchy stronghold during the movement for Brazilian independence and was the last to join the new Empire of Brazil. Despite the abolition of slavery, expansion of the franchise and steady migration of Afro-Brazilians from the Bahian countryside into the city, the city's elected offices have and continue to be dominated by a mostly European-descended upper class in a majority Black city. Afro-Brazilians continue to be underrepresented politically and urban renewal efforts have increasingly displaced them out of the historical city center towards the suburbs.[74] Examples of the city's political elite include the Magalhães family, which in the last 50 years has held positions for mayor of Salvador (Antônio Carlos and his grandsonACM Neto), governor of Bahia (Antônio Carlos), senator (Antônio Carlos and his son Antônio Júnior) and federal deputy (uncle Luís Eduardo and nephew ACM Neto). The control of the state of Bahia, and by extension Salvador, under political boss Antônio Carlos Magalhães was marked by an authoritarian style ofclientelism known locally ascarlismo.[75]
Since January 2021, the mayor of Salvador has beenBruno Soares Reis of theUnião Brasil party (DEM). The office of mayor has a 4-year term and works with a deputy mayor, also an elected 4 year position. The current deputy mayor is Ana Paula Matos (PDT). In recent decades, the position has been held by mostly members of center-right parties such as the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) and more recently the Democrats (DEM).
There are 43 councilors in the Salvador City Council, most recently elected in 2020.Geraldo Júnior (MDB) had been the president of the City Council.
The Salvador coastline is one of the longest for cities in Brazil. There are 80 km (50 mi) of beaches distributed between the High City and the Low City, from Inema, in the railroad suburb to the Praia do Flamengo, on the other side of town. While the Low City beaches are bordered by the waters of theAll Saints Bay (the country's most extensive bay), the High City beaches, from Farol da Barra to Flamengo, are bordered by theAtlantic Ocean. The exception isPorto da Barra Beach, the only High City beach located in the All Saints Bay.
The capital's beaches range from calm inlets, ideal for swimming, sailing, diving and underwater fishing, as well as open sea inlets with strong waves, sought bysurfers. There are also beaches surrounded byreefs, forming natural pools of stone, ideal for children.
Interesting places to visit near Salvador include:
The large island ofItaparica in the Bay of All Saints can be visited either by a car-ferry, or a smaller foot-passenger ferry, which leaves from near theMercado Modelo near the Lacerda Elevator.
BA-099 Highway, or "Line of Coconut" and "Green Line" of towns and cities, with exquisite beaches, north of Salvador heading towardsSergipe state.
Morro de São Paulo in the Valença region across the Bay of All Saints – an island that can be reached by ferry from Salvador (2 hours), by plane, or by bus to Valença and then by 'Rapido' ('fast') speedboat or smaller ferry. Morro de São Paulo is formed by five villages of the TinharéIsland.
The city is served by many shopping malls, including Shopping da Bahia (formerly Shopping Iguatemi),[77] Salvador Shopping,[78] Shopping Barra,[79] and Shopping Paralela.[80]
Salvador is home to a rich cultural scene and offers a variety of museums that reflect the city's vibrant history, art, and traditions. One of the most iconic is theMuseum of Modern Art of Bahia (MAM), reimagined and adapted by renowned Italian-Brazilian architectLina Bo Bardi, located by the sea in a beautiful 17th-century building. The MAM showcases contemporary Brazilian art and frequently hosts exhibitions, workshops, and live music events, especially during its famous "Jam no MAM" jazz sessions.
Other notable museums in the city include the Afro-Brazilian Museum, which explores African influence in Brazilian culture, and the Carlos Costa Pinto Museum, which offers a glimpse into the aristocratic lifestyle of colonial Bahia. Together, these museums provide visitors with a deeper understanding of Salvador's unique identity.
Salvador has four parks, green areas protected, as Jardim dos Namorados Park, Costa Azul Park, Park of the city, Park of Pituaçu.
Museo de Arte Moderno de Bahía - Solar do Unhão
Jardim dos Namorados is located right next to Costa Azul Park and occupies an area of 15 hectares inPituba, where many families used to spend their vacations in the 1950s.[citation needed] It was inaugurated in 1969, initially as a leisure area. It underwent a complete renovation in the 1990s, with the construction of an amphitheater with room for 500 people, sports courts, playgrounds andparking for cars and tourist buses.[citation needed]
Park of the city is an important preservation area of theAtlantic forest. It was completely renovated in 2001, becoming a modern social, cultural and leisure place. The new park has 720 square meter of green area right in the middle of the city. Among the attractions are Praça das Flores (Flowers square), with more than five thousand ornamental plants and flowers.
Baiana
Besides its environment, the park has an infrastructure for children, with a special schedule of events taking place every October.[81]
Created by state decree in 1973, Pituaçu Park occupies an area of 450 hectares and is one of the few Brazilian ecological parks located in anurban area. It is surrounded byAtlantic forest, with a good variety of plants and animals. There is also an artificial pond in the park, built in 1906 along with the Pituaçu Dam, whose purpose was to supply water to the city.[82]
There are a number of possible leisure activities, ranging from cycloboats rides on the pond, to a 38 km (24 mi) long cycloway circling the entire reserve. A museum is also located in the park. Espaço Cravo is an outdoor museum with 800 pieces created by Mario Cravo, consisting of totems, winged and three-dimensional figures, as well asdrawings andpaintings.[citation needed]
Archeology and Ethnology Museum of UFBAThe old Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia (FMB), the first medical school in the country, located in Pelourinho. In recent times, it serves as amuseum.
Salvador is one of the most crime-ridden cities in the country. The number of homicides increased 418% from 2000 to 2010. From 1998 to 2008, the number of homicides of youths between the ages of 15 and 24 increased 435.1%. Gun violence in the state of Bahia more than doubled in the period from 2004 to 2014, and the city is in the top ten for gun violence of the 26 state capitals of Brazil. In 2014 the state of Bahia had the most murders in the country. At the same time, Salvador has one of the lowest rates of suicide in the nation.[84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91]
Salvador's historical and cultural aspects were inherited by the intermarriage of such ethnic groups as Native-Indian, African and European. This mixture can be seen in the religion, cuisine, cultural manifestations, and custom of Bahia's people. African cultural practices are particularly celebrated.[92]
Perspective view of the Salvador Bahia Pelourinho's Anchieta Plaza, cut from aLaser Scan preservationist project conducted by nonprofitCyArk.
Gregório de Mattos, born in Salvador in 1636, was also educated by the Jesuits. He became the most importantBaroque poet in colonial Brazil for his religious and satirical works.Father António Vieira was born in Lisbon in 1608, but was raised and educated in the Jesuit school of Salvador and died in the city in 1697. His eruditesermons have earned him the title of best writer of thePortuguese language in the Baroque era.[93]
The local cuisine, spicy and based on seafood (shrimp, fish), strongly relies on typically African ingredients and techniques, and is much appreciated throughout Brazil and internationally. The most typical ingredient isazeite-de-dendê, an oil extracted from a palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) brought fromWest Africa to Brazil during colonial times.[94]
Using the milkycoconut juice, they prepared a variety ofseafood based dishes, such as Ensopados, Moquecas and Escabeche. Thesugar cane bagasse was mixed with molasses and Rapadura, in the creation of coconut desserts like Cocada Branca and Preta. The remaining of the Portuguese Stew sauce was mixed withmanioc flour to make a mush, which is a traditional Indian dish.[95] In the markets of Salvador, it is possible to find stands selling typical dishes of the colonial era. In the Sete Portas Market, customers eat Mocotó on Friday nights since the 1940s, when the market was inaugurated. In the restaurants ofMercado Modelo, Sarapatel, stews and several fried dishes are served regularly. In the São Joaquim, Santa Bárbara and São Miguel markets, there are stands selling typical food. They are also sold at stands located on the beaches, specially crab stews and oysters. The restaurants that sell typical dishes are located mostly along the coast and in Pelourinho. They prepare a wide variety of recipes that takepalm tree oil.
Traditional dishes includecaruru,vatapá,acarajé,bobó-de-camarão,moqueca baiana, andabará. Some of these dishes, like the acarajé and abará, are also used as offerings inCandomblé rituals. But Salvador is not only typical food. Other recipes created by the slaves were the Haussá Rice (rice and jerkedbeef cooked together), the Munguzá, used as offering to the Candomblé deity Oxalá (who is the father of all deities, according to the religion) pleased the matrons very much. So did the Bolinhos the Fubá, the Cuscuz (cornmeal) and the Mingau (porridge). According to Arany Santana, the African Ipetê (used in therituals to the deityOxum) became theShrimp bobó, and the Akará (honoring the deities Xangô and Iansã) became the world-famous Acarajé. The city has restaurants specialized on international cuisine also. There are also places that serve dishes from other states ofBrazil, especially fromMinas Gerais and theNortheast region.
Capoeira is a unique mix ofdance andmartial art of Afro-Brazilian origin, combining agile dance moves with unarmed combat techniques. Capoeira in Portuguese literally means "chicken coop". The capoeira appeared inQuilombo dos Palmares, located in the Captaincy ofPernambuco, and Salvador is considered the home of modern capoeira branches.[96][97] In the first half of the 20th century, Salvador-born mastersMestre Bimba andMestre Pastinha founded capoeira schools and helped standardize and popularize the art in Brazil and the world. In recent years, Capoeira has become more international and accessible even in Salvador.
The artistic, cultural and social heritage of Salvador is preserved in museums. From Museu de Arte da Bahia (MAB), which is the oldest in the State, to Museu Náutico, the newest, the first capital of Brazil displays unique elements of history. Museu de Arte da Bahia has paintings, Chinese porcelain, furniture and sacred images from the 17th and 18th centuries. Museu Costa Pinto has privately owned items such as, pieces of art, crystal objects, and furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries. Museu da Cidade, where many items that help to preserve the heritage of old Salvador are kept. TheMuseum of Modern Art of Bahia, established in 1960, is located at a historic site on the Bay of All Saints,Solar da União.
Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet interior view.
Somechurches andmonasteries also have museums located in their premises. Examples of this are the Carmo da Misericórdia and São Bento museums. After the forts were renovated, Museu Náutico was established in the Forte de Santo Antonio da Barra (Farol da Barra) and the Museum of Communication in Forte São Diogo. Other important museums located in Salvador are: Museu do Cacau, State Museum of Geology, Museu tempostal, Solar do Ferrão, Museu de Arte Antiga e Popular Henriqueta M Catharino, Museu Eugênio Teixeira Leal,Museu Rodin Bahia, and Museu das Portas do Carmo.
The streets of Salvador are decorated with numerous murals and sculptures, many of which have been produced by the resident artistBel Borba, a native of the city.[98]
TheBahian Carnival (Portuguese:Carnaval) is the largest party on the planet.[99][100] Its dimensions are gigantic. For an entire week, almost 4 million people celebrate throughout 25 kilometers (16 mi) of streets, avenues, and squares. The direct organization of the party involves the participation of over 100,000 people[101] and Salvador receives an average of over 800,000 visitors. The affair is heavily policed and covered. Streets are patrolled by lines of police in single file and guarded by seated teams of five or six officers.[102] In 2010, coverage was provided by 4,446 journalists from the local, national, and international press and broadcast to 135 countries through 65radio stations, 75magazines, 139 video productions, 97newspapers (including 21 international papers), 14tv stations, and 168websites.[103]
Salvador's Street Carnival, one of the largest in the world
Much of the music played isaxé orsamba-reggae. Groups known asblocos participate, with the most famous being theblocos afros such as Malé Debalé, Olodum, and Filhos de Gandhi.
The parades are organized into separate circuits. The Osmar Circuit, the oldest, goes from Campo Grande toCastro Alves Square. The Downtown Circuit runs through downtown andPelourinho. The Dodô Circuit goes from Farol daBarra toOndina along the coast. Since the Osmar Circuit is the oldest, it is where the event's most traditional groups parade. In Dodô, where the artist box seats are located, the party becomes lively toward the end of the afternoon and continues until morning.
TheBahian guitar is an instrument with four, five or six strings, created in Salvador - Bahia.
The city of Salvador is home to groups known as "blocos-afros", includingIlê Aiyê,Olodum andTimbalada, where they represent, in their visual and musical figures, African indoles, who are based in the city of Salvador in the historical ethnicity due to colonization and success theAxé.[104]
Xisto Bahia from Salvador recorded the songIsto É Bom in 1902;[105] many Brazilian music specialists consider this the first song ever recorded in Brazil.[106][107]
Black Bahia Funk Balls play more American music—including English music—than their counterparts inRio, while Rio's music is considered inferior and less played.[citation needed] The local dancehalls which host the balls are also distinct.[108]
Matrix Radio, which includes difficult and otherwise impossible to find music of Salvador and Bahia and which consists of music formerly available in Cana Brava Records, formerly located in Salvador's Centro Histórico (Pelourinho), was named by British journal The Guardian as one of "10 of the best music radio stations around the world".[109]
Matrix Radio is part of a broader project called the Matrix Online Network, a "matrix" in the word's original sense of "source", created to make the music and musicians of Bahia accessible within a global network of artists and creators.[110]
The Matrix Online Network is a continuing extension of the Cana Brava record store's focus on preserving Bahian musical culture.[111]
The first books that arrived in Salvador, were brought by theJesuits, who came with Tomé de Souza.[112] The first libraries or bookstores that appeared were under the control of the religious missionaries and were mostly composed of books on religion.
The handcraft legacy of Bahia using only raw materials (straw,leather,clay,wood,seashells andbeads), the most rudimentary crafts are reasonably inexpensive. Other pieces are created with the use of metals likegold,silver,copper andbrass. The most sophisticated ones are ornamented with precious and semi-precious gems. The craftsmen and women generally choose religion as the main theme of their work.
They portray the images of Catholic saints and Candomble deities on their pieces. The good luck charms such as the clenched fist, the four-leaf clover, the garlic and the famous Bonfim ribbons express the city's religious syncretism. Nature is also portrayed on these pieces, reflecting the localwildlife. Music appears in the atabaque drums, the rain sticks, the water drums and the famous berimbau, along with other typical instruments.[113]
Salvador holds an international reputation as a city where musical instruments that produce unique sounds are made. These instruments are frequently used by world-famous artists in their recording sessions. The main handcrafts production in Salvador is located inMercado Modelo, which is the biggest handcraft center inLatin America.[114]
Pieces can also be purchased at Instituto de Artesanato de Mauá and at Instituto do Patrimônio Artístico e Cultural (IPAC). These are organizations that promote typical art inBahia.
With cargo volume that grows every year with the economic growth of the state, thePort of Salvador, located in theBahia de Todos os Santos, is the port with the most movement of containers of theNorth/Northeast and the second-leading fruit exporter inBrazil.
Salvador Metro System has been in operation since 2014. Its first stage was completed between Lapa and Acesso Norte stations and was later expanded to include new metro stations between Acesso Norte and Pirajá. Together, these segments form Line 1 of the system. In 2018, the system had 32 km (20 mi) and 20 stations and linked with thebus system.
The main shareholders in Metro Salvador are theSpanishcompaniesConstrucciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles,Dimetronic, and ICF. It is expected that Metro Salvador will invest US$150 million in rolling stock, signaling and telecommunications equipment. The contract covers the first 11.9 km (7.4 mi) line from Pirajá to Lapa, which was originally due to open in 2003. The project is also financed by a US$150 millionWorld Bank loan and contributions from the federal, Bahia state, and Salvador city governments.[116]
Luís Eduardo Magalhães viaduct.
The creation of the system was one of the actions for urban mobility in preparation for the2014 FIFA World Cup. The connection of Line 2 with Line 1 connects Magalhães International Airport to Downtown Salvador and theFonte Nova Stadium. Line 2 also integrates Rótula do Abacaxi and the neighboring beach city ofLauro de Freitas.[117]
TheBR-101 and BR-116 federalhighways crossBahia from north to south, connecting Salvador to the rest of the country. At theFeira de Santana junction, take theBR-324 state highway. The capital of Bahia is served by several coach companies from almost every Brazilian state. BR-242, starting at São Roque do Paraguaçu (transversal direction), is linked to BR-116, bound to the middle–west region. Among the state highways stands BA-099, which makes connection to the north coast and BA-001, which makes connection to the south ofBahia. Buses provide direct service to most major Brazilian cities, includingRio de Janeiro,São Paulo, andBrasília, as well as regional destinations. In 2007, the city had 586,951 vehicles, the largest number of theNorthern andNortheastern Brazil.[119] Salvador has 2,500 public buses, and 2 million people are transported every day.[120]
Salvador Bus Station.
Thebus station (rodoviária) is in Iguatemi, with direct buses to larger cities in the country and to many other destinations in the state. On the second floor are the counters for the different bus companies, and on the first floor is a small supermarket and a 24 h left luggage. Across the street is a large shopping center, Iguatemi, with a food court, connected by a pedestrian crossing.[121]
Four pavedhighways connect the city to the national highway system. Running north from the Farol (lighthouse) de Itapoã are hundreds of kilometres of beaches. The beaches are accessible by theBA-099 highway or (Line of Coconut and Green Line), a (toll)road, which is kept in excellent condition, running parallel to thecoast, with access roads leading off to the coast itself. Theroad runs alongdunes of snow-white sand, and the coast itself is an almost unbroken line ofcoconut palms. The communities along the coast range fromfishingvillages toPraia do Forte.
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Salvador, such as to and from work, on a weekday is 94 min, and 33% of public transit riders ride for more than 2 h every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 33 min, and 70% of riders wait for over 20 min on average every day. The average distance that people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 8 km, and 18% travel for over 12 km in a single trip.[122]
Although the creation of Salvador was masterminded by theKingdom of Portugal and its layout overseen by the Portuguese engineer Luís Dias (who was responsible for the city's original design), the continuous growth of the capital through the decades was completely spontaneous.[citation needed] The walls of the city-fortress could not hold the expansion of the city towards the Carmo and the area where now standsCastro Alves Square. At the time of its foundation, Salvador had only two squares and the first neighborhood ever built here was the Historic City Center.Pelourinho and Carmo came subsequently, created as a consequence of the growing need of space that thereligious orders had. With the rapid expansion, the neighborhoods grew and many of them were clustered in the same area, so today there are not accurate records as to their exact number. For urban management purposes, the city is currently divided on 17 political-administrative zones. However, due to their verycultural relevance and to postal conveniences, the importance of the neighborhoods of Salvador remains intact.
Aerial view of Salvador
Salvador is divided into a number of distinct neighborhoods, which can be categorized by which geographic zone they are located in; West, South or East. The most well known districts, includingPelourinho,Comércio, and Old Downtown, are all located in the West Zone.Barra, with its beaches and starting point to one of the city's Carnival circuits, is located in the South Zone.Vitória, a neighborhood with many high rise buildings, is located in South Zone.Campo Grande, with its Dois de Julho Square and the monument to Bahia's independence, is also located in the South Zone, as isGraça, an important residential area.Ondina, with Salvador'sZoobotanical Garden and the site where the Barra-Ondina Carnival circuit ends, the neighborhood is home of the Spanish Club, is also a neighborhood in the South Zone.
Itaigara,Pituba, Horto Florestal,Caminho das Árvores, Loteamento Aquárius,Brotas, Stiep, Costa Azul, Armação, Jaguaribe and Stella Maris are the wealthiest communities of the city and are located in the East Zone.Rio Vermelho, a neighborhood with a rich architectural history and numerous restaurants and bars, is located in the South Zone.Itapoã, known throughout Brazil as the home ofVinicius de Moraes and for being the setting of the song "Tarde em Itapoã", is located in the East Zone.
The Northwest area of the city along the Bay of All Saints, also known asCidade Baixa ("Lower city"), contains the impoverished neighborhoods ofPeriperi, Paripe, Lobato, Liberdade, Nova Esperança, and Calçada. The neighborhood ofLiberdade has one of the largest proportions ofAfro-Brazilians of Salvador andBrazil.[123]
View of Largo do PelourinhoOld houses in the historical center of Salvador.
TheHistoric Center of Salvador was designated in 1985 aWorld Heritage Site byUNESCO.[33] The city represents a fine example ofPortugueseurbanism from the middle of the 16th century with its higher administrative town and its lower commercial town, and a large portion of the city has retained the old character of its streets and colourful houses.
As the first capital ofPortuguese America, Salvador cultivated slave labor and had itspillories ("pelourinhos") installed in open places like the Terreiro de Jesus and the squares know today asTomé de Sousa andCastro Alves. The pillories were a symbol of authority and justice for some and of lashings and injustice for the majority.[124] The one erected for a short time in what is now the Historical Center, and later moved to what is now the Praça da Piedade (Square of Piety), ended up lending its name to the historical and architectural complex ofPelourinho, part of the city's upper town.
Since 1992, thePelourinho neighborhood has been subject to a nearly US$100 million "restoration" that has led to the rebuilding of hundreds of buildings' façades and the expulsion of the vast majority of the neighborhood's Afro-descendent population. This process has given rise to substantial political debate in the State ofBahia, since the Pelourinho's former residents have been for the most part excluded from the renovation's economic benefits (reaped by a few).[125] A major restoration effort resulted in making the area atouristattraction.[126]
Salvador's considerable wealth and status during colonial times (as capital of the colony during 250 years and which gave rise to the Pelourinho) is reflected in the magnificence of its colonialpalaces,churches andconvents, most of them dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. These include:
Cathedral of Salvador: FormerJesuit church of the city, built in the second half of the 17th century. Fine example ofMannerist architecture and decoration.
Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim:Rococo church withNeoclassical inner decoration. The image of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim is the most venerated in the city, and the Feast of Our Lord of Good Ending (Festa de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim) in January is the most important in the city afterCarnival.
Mercado Modelo (Model Market): In 1861, at the Cayrú Square, the Customs Building was constructed, with a rotunda (large circular room with a domed ceiling) at the back end, where ships anchored to unload their merchandise.
Lacerda Elevator (Elevador Lacerda): Inaugurated in 1873, this elevator was planned and built by the businessman Antônio Francisco de Lacerda, The four elevator cages connect the 72 metres (236 ft) between theThomé de Souza Square in the upper city, and the Cayru Square in the lower city. In each run, which lasts for 22 seconds, the elevator transports 128 persons, 24 hours a day.
Salvador provides visitors and residents with various sport activities. TheEstádio Fonte Nova, also known as Estádio Octávio Mangabeira is afootball stadium inaugurated on 28 January 1951 in Salvador,Bahia, with a maximum capacity of 66,080 people. The stadium has now been replaced with a new stadium namedItaipava Arena Fonte Nova with a capacity of 56,000 people. This stadium hosted matches of2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the subsequent2014 FIFA World Cup, as well as the football competition in the2016 Summer Olympics. The stadium is owned by the Bahia government, and is the home ground ofEsporte Clube Bahia. Its formal name honors Octávio Cavalcanti Mangabeira, a civil engineer, journalist, and former Bahia state governor from 1947 to 1954. The stadium is nicknamed Fonte Nova, because it is located at Ladeira das Fontes das Pedras. The stadium was in 2007 closed due to an accident, and the E.C. Bahia home matches now happen in another stadium, in Pituaçu.
During the last decades,volleyball has grown steadily in Salvador, especially after the gold medal won by Brazil in the1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.[citation needed] The most important tournaments inBahia are the State Championship, the State League tournament and the Primavera Games, and the main teams are Associação Atlética da Bahia, Bahiano de Tênis, and Clube the Regatas Itapagipe. There are alsobeach volleyball events. Salvador has housed many international tournaments. Federação Bahina de Voleibol (the state league) can inform the schedule of tournaments.Bowling is practiced both by teenagers and adults in Salvador. Boliche do Aeroclube and Space Bowling are equipped with automatic lanes as well as a complete bar infrastructure.
Bahia'sbasketball league exists since 1993 and has 57teams. The sport is very popular in the city of Salvador, especially among students.[127] There are several courts scattered across the city, where is possible to play for free, like the one located at Bahia Sol square, where people play.[128] There are also severalgymnasiums, inclubs like Bahiano de Tênis and Associação Atlética and the Antonio Balbino Gymnasiums (popularly known as "Balbininho"), which is an arena that can hold up to 7,000 people.
Todos os Santos Bay and Salvador's climatic conditions are ideal for competition and recreationalsailing. The city is equipped with good infrastructure for practice of sailing, such as rental and sale of dock space, boat maintenance, restaurants, snack bar, convenience stores, nautical products stores, boat rental agencies, VHF and SSB communication systems, events, and total assistance to crews.[129] The large number of sailing events organized byclubs andsyndicates, like oceanic races and typical boats (wooden fishing boats andcanoes) races, demonstrates the sport's growing force. Currently, Salvador has a national racing schedule with dozens of events, also receiving theMini Transat 6.50 and Les Illes du Soleil races.[129]
Rowing boat races started in the city more than a hundred years ago.[130] It was originally practiced by young men from traditional families, who spent their summer vacations there. The sport is a leisure option in Cidade Baixa (the lower part of the city).Esporte Clube Vitória and Clube São Salvador were the pioneers in the sport. Nowadays, these two entities and also Clube de Regatas Itapagipe lead the competitions that take place in the city. With the recent renovation of the Dique do Tororó area, Salvador received new lanes for the practice of the sport.
^As late as the 19th century, it was also known in English asSan Salvador,[17] although the general name continued to be "Bahia".[17][18]
^Its exact position remains a matter of debate.[21]
^This church was first rebuilt in stone and mortar in 1579 and then demolished in 1912 to widen a road. The present Church of Our Lady of Help is located a block away from the original site.[26]
^This basilica was later rebuilt from 1656 to 1672.[27]
^The development of the tramways and elevators, however, ended a long-running trade for porters and chairmen carrying people and goods up the steep staircase streets of the escarpment.[17]
^"Insolação Total (horas)".Normais Climatológicas do Brasil 1991-2020 (in Portuguese). Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. Archived fromthe original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved24 March 2022.
^Flexor, Maria Helena Ochi. "Catedral Basílica". In:Igrejas e Conventos da Bahia. Series Roteiros do Patrimônio, vol. II. Brasília: Iphan / Programa Monumenta, 2010, pp. 11–36
^Do G1, em São Paulo."2013 GDPs".Terra (in Portuguese). Terra.com.Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved24 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Keisha-Khan, Y. Perry (November 2004). "The roots of black resistance: race, gender and the struggle for urban land rights in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil".Social Identities.10 (6):811–831.doi:10.1080/1350463042000324283.S2CID145675989.
^Herrmann, Julián Durazo (2014). "Reflections on Regime Change and Democracy in Bahia, Brazil".Latin American Research Review.49 (3):23–44.doi:10.1353/lar.2014.0050.S2CID144223560.
^Collins, John F. (November 2014). "Policing's Productive Folds: Secretism and Authenticity in Brazilian Cultural Heritage".The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology.19 (3):473–501.doi:10.1111/jlca.12106.
^Projecto Brazil (25 July 2008)."Projecto Brazil". Projectobrazil.blogspot.com.Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved27 January 2014.
^Collins, John (2015).Revolt of the Saints: Memory and Redemption in the Twilight of Brazilian Racial Democracy. Durham: Duke University Press.ISBN9780822353065.
^"New Pelourinho". Gosouthamerica.about.com. 5 March 2010.Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved17 April 2010.
^"Lisboa – Geminações de Cidades e Vilas" [[Lisbon – Twinning of Cities and Towns]].Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses [National Association of Portuguese Municipalities] (in Portuguese).Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved23 August 2013.
Collins, John F.Revolt of the Saints: Memory and Redemption in the Twilight of Brazilian Racial Democracy. Durham: Duke University Press,ISBN978-0-8223-5320-1.
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