Instituto Geográfico e Histórico da Bahia, Historical society in Nazaré district, Salvador, Brazil.
Instituto Geográfico e Histórico da Bahia is a historic site in Salvador's Nazaré neighborhood that holds collections of bronze sculptures, marble statues, historical weapons, indigenous objects, and traditional religious artifacts. The building contains multiple galleries across its floors where visitors can examine these items that document the region's past.
Founded in 1894, the institution moved through seven different locations before settling in its current building on Avenida Joana Angélica in 1923. This permanent home became the center for preserving geographic and historical records of Bahia.
The institute preserves Bahia's heritage through collections that reflect how people lived and worked in earlier times, including religious objects and everyday items from local traditions. Walking through the rooms, you can see how these pieces are displayed to tell the story of the region's identity.
The building opens on weekdays in the afternoon, with the archive section closing earlier and advance registration needed for research visits. Plan to spend time exploring the different collections, especially if you want to access archival materials.
The red-brick building has a dome containing quartz on its roof, which once served as one of Salvador's first mapping reference points. This elevated position made it valuable for geographic measurements in the city's early development.
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