Salaga Slave Market
Salaga, Savannah
The market square at Salaga that was one of the largest inland slave markets in West Africa.
Wikimedia Commons
Visiting information
- Address
- Salaga - East Gonja Municipality, Savannah Region,
- Opening information
- Open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Monday through Sunday).
- Accessibility
- Accessibility information has not been verified for this place.
- Suggested time
- 1–2 hours
About this place
Salaga grew from the sixteenth century as a trading centre in the Gonja kingdom, and by the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was one of West Africa's leading slave markets, linked both to the coastal export trade and to trans-Saharan routes. The market square remains, together with the tree associated with the trade and other sites of remembrance in the town. Historians have documented Salaga's role in detail, including in the Journal of African History.
District profile
Salaga
Salaga is the capital of the East Gonja Municipal District in the Savannah Region.
Why stay here: Salaga was one of West Africa's largest inland slave markets and remains a place of remembrance.
Atmosphere: A historic trading town whose market square carries the memory of the inland slave trade.
Salaga lies east of Tamale, inland from the Volta Lake crossings.
Nearby attractions
More to explore around Salaga and the wider Savannah.
Mole National Park SavannahGhana's largest wildlife reserve, in the northern savannah, known for its elephants. The best time to visit Mole National Park is during the dry season from November to April, when animals regularly gather around remaining waterholes and the thinner brush makes wildlife much easier to spot.
Larabanga Mosque LarabangaGhana's oldest mosque, built of mud and timber in the Sudano-Sahelian style at Larabanga. 1–2 hours
Mognori Eco Village MognoriA community-run visitor programme in a farming village on the Mole River, at the edge of Mole National Park. The best time to visit Mognori Eco-Village is during the dry season, from November to April.
Recommended district
Salaga
Salaga was one of West Africa's largest inland slave markets and remains a place of remembrance.
Plan the rest of your visit
Build an itinerary around this district, or check what Ghana requires for entry before you travel.
Sources and verification
Status: Verified. Last reviewed 2026-09-15.
Africa Oral Data Library, slave wells and market at SalagaVisitAfrica publishes discovery and cultural information. We do not sell tickets, tours or accommodation, and we do not publish prices or ratings.