The emblematic steps of the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage site (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Tens of thousands of indentured labourers from India, La Reunion and East Africa climbed the steps of Aapravasi Ghat as they arrived on Mauritian soil to start their new lives as contract workers, mostly on the sugar estates of Mauritius.
Today, these sixteen stone steps serve as one of the emblematic symbols of the site.
The former Office of the Protector of Immigrants (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
The Office of the Protector of Immigrants was housed in a basalt stone building, built in 1849. Here, Immigration Department officers kept and managed detailed records of the indentured immigrants and oversaw all matters relating to the indentured labour system in Mauritius.
The former Office of the Protector of Immigrants (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Hundreds of volumes concerning the indentured workers were kept in this building until the 1970s. It was eventually demolished in 1988 to make way for the national highway.
The Bath Area (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Upon arrival, the indentured workers were required to take a bath, having spent many weeks travelling to get there. They had to clean themselves according to Immigration Depot regulations. The Bath Area was built of basalt in the late 1850s/early 1860s.
Immigrants were provided with three water-filled tanks. Two were reserved for the men and boys, one for the women and young girls, and they were partitioned. They were allowed further access to the Bath Area during their 2 to 3-day stay at the Depot.
The Latrine Area (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
The Latrine Area was located next to the Bath Area and was built during the same period. This part of the site was cleaned three times per day and shows the extent to which Immigration Office officials were concerned about the maintenance of health and hygiene at the Depot.
Wooden Sheds as Accommodation for the Indentured Immigrants (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Simple wooden sheds with a corrugated iron roof were provided as accommodation for the indentured immigrants during their stay at the Immigration Depot. This picture from the 1940s shows some of the wooden sheds which were built at the Depot during the 1890s.
The Courtyard (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Over a period of more than seven decades, the courtyard of Aapravasi Ghat was used by indentured immigrants as a place of rest and acclimatization during their 2 to 3-day stay. It was surrounded by sheds, and also by a kitchen and the sirdars’ quarters, which no longer exist.
The Courtyard (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
After 1864, when the Depot was divided into two parts and the railway was routed through it, the Courtyard became known as the Second Yard, or the minor courtyard. Recently-arrived immigrants used the court yard until 1910.
The Courtyard (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
The Courtyard was restored between 2004 and 2010 as part of the Aapravasi Ghat Conservation Project and today makes up more than 80% of the World Heritage site.
The Hospital Block (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
The hospital block consists of seven chambers, which were used as consultation and treatment rooms, a kitchen, a stable, a cart room and a guard room for the Depot watchman. It was used for several decades by both the staff of the Depot and the indentured immigrants.
The Hospital Block (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
It is the only complete surviving stone structure of the Depot and was the focal point of the Aapravasi Ghat Conservation Project. The hospital block is one of the major highlights when visiting the site.
The Entrance Gateway (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Tens of thousands of indentured immigrants passed through the Aapravasi Ghat gateway on their way to work and live on the island’s sugar estates and in Port Louis, with most of them adopting the island as their new home.
Gateway (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
The Gateway has now been restored and the hundreds of thousands of visitors who have visited the Ghat since 2014 have been able to pass through it. It is as emblematic of the site as the sixteen steps.
The Beekrumsing Ramlallah Interpretation Centre (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
The Beekrumsing Ramlallah Interpretation Centre (BRIC) is a modern 21st-century museum which was opened in 2014 under the protection and management requirements of UNESCO.
Housed in a renovated mid-19th century warehouse, it interprets the history of the site, the history of indenture and the experiences of the indentured workers in Mauritius. Numerous events have been held there by both the AGTF and the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage.
Redrawn Map of the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage site (Ex-Immigration Depot) (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Based on records from 1864 and 1865 when the Depot was being modernized, this map highlights the fact that more than 75% of the site has been lost and only 25% preserved. It provides detailed information on the site’s surviving stone structures and on those that no longer exist.
The Arrival of the Last Ship at the Immigration Depot (2006) by Aapravasi GhatUNESCO World Heritage
Port Louis, view of Cerné Dock - Signal Mountain: In August 1910, the Surada was the last steamship to ever arrive at Aapravasi Ghat, carrying more than 200 Indian indentured workers, and marking the end of indentured labour in Mauritius.
This exhibit was created by the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund: https://aapravasi.govmu.org/aapravasi/
More on Aapravasi Ghat and World Heritage: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1227/
Photos: Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund
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