The National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture, Cultural museum in Pelourinho, Salvador, Brazil.
The National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture is a cultural museum in Pelourinho that houses more than 1800 objects from Africa and Brazil. The collection includes photographs, ornaments, masks, and musical instruments that document the history and heritage of these communities.
The National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture was inaugurated on 19 November 2009 in Salvador, the capital of Bahia. It closed in 2020 and reopened in 2023. It works to preserve, produce and circulate Afro-Brazilian and diasporic culture across the Americas, and to foster dialogue and exchange between African countries and Brazil.
The Mural of the Orixás displays 27 cedar panels depicting Candomblé deities, created by artist Carybé to represent spiritual traditions that remain central to local religious life. Visitors can observe how these sacred figures continue to hold meaning in the daily practices of people in Salvador.
Access is through the streets of Pelourinho, a historic neighborhood with cobblestone paths and hills. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow time to explore the surroundings, especially if planning to walk through the neighborhood as well.
The collection includes objects seized during 1920s police raids on Candomblé religious sites, now preserved as evidence of religious persecution. These pieces tell stories of how communities maintained their traditions despite government opposition and suppression.
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