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 uneven
Pelourinho, is known for its colonial architecture, with historical monuments dating from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century, and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. The stage of one of the biggest Carnivals in the world (the biggest street party in the world, according to the Guinness World Records), the integration of the municipality to the UNESCO's Creative 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 2.9 million inhabitants as of 2020, it is the most populous municipality in the Northeast, the third most populous in Brazil (
largest in the world. Also due to these urban-population dimensions, it is classified by the IBGE study on the Brazilian urban network as a regional metropolis. In its reports for the years 2014 and 2020, the Research Network of Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) classified Salvador as a global 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 a
Salvador lies on a small, roughly triangular peninsula that separates the
Ladeira da Barra neighborhood. Mistreatment of the Tupinambá by the settlers caused them to turn hostile and the Portuguese were forced to flee to Porto Seguroc. 1546.[13] An attempted restoration of the colony the next year ended in shipwreck and cannibalism.[14]
The present city was established as the fortress of São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos ("Holy Savior of the Bay of All Saints")
Europeans in the Americas.[19] From a cliff overlooking the Bay of All Saints,[n 3] it served as Brazil's first capital and quickly became a major port for its slave trade and sugarcane industry.[21] Salvador was long divided into an upper and a lower city, divided by a sharp escarpment some 85 meters (279 ft) high.[22]
The upper city formed the administrative, religious, and primary residential districts while the lower city was the commercial center, with a port and market.
In the
Diocese of Luanda
on 13 January 1844 and its bishop still serves as the national primate and premier see (diocese) of Brazil.
In 1572, the
unsuccessfully besieging
it between April and May 1638.
In 1763, the colonial administration was removed to
Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca's later coup that established the republic in 1889.[17]
Owing to whales' use of the Bay of All Saints as a mating ground, Salvador became a large whaling port in the Southern Hemisphere during the 19th century but the trade had already begun to fall off by the 1870s.[16]
Historical 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.[34] 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.[35]
In 2007,
Arena Fonte Nova.[38] As part of its preparations for the World Cup, the city re-established its public transportation lines as the Salvador Metro
.
Geography
Climate
Salvador has a trade-wind
Köppen: Af). Temperatures are relatively consistent, showing little variance throughout the course of the year.[39] 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.[40]
Climate data for Salvador (Bahia) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present
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.[54] The researchers explained they oversampled individuals living in poor environments (page 4).[54]
Another 2015 autosomal DNA found out Salvador to be 50.8% African, 42.9% European and 6.4% Native American.[55]
And another autosomal DNA study, also in 2015, found out Salvador to be: 50.8% European, 40.5% African and 8.7% Native American.[56]
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.
Catholicism
.
Many religious orders came to the city, following its foundation: Franciscans, Benedictines and Carmelites. 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.[60] 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 of
Catholicism 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.[60] The convents
, 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 of
) 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]
Buildings on Tancredo Neves AvenueThe extreme southern point of the city in the neighborhood of Barra.
Skyscrapers
in Vitória neighborhood, the most expensive address in the city
Pelourinho
Throughout
Portuguese empire throughout the colonial era, maintaining close commercial ties with Portugal and Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia.[62]
Salvador remained the preeminent city in Brazil until 1763 when it was replaced as the national capital by Rio de Janeiro. In the last ten years many high-rise office and apartmentbuildings were constructed, sharing the same blocks with colonial-era housing or commercial buildings.[63]
Salvador is the second most popular tourism destination in Brazil, after Rio de Janeiro.[64] 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 famous Pelourinho (named after the colonial pillories that once stood there) district, its historic churches,[65] and its beaches. Salvador's tourism infrastructure is considered one of the most modern in 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)[66] and national developers are investing in the city and in the Bahian littoral 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.[67]
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 the herbicideRoundup in South 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.[68]
ACM 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 of clientelism known locally as carlismo.[72]
Since January 2021, the mayor of Salvador has been Bruno Soares Reis of the União 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.
All Saints Bay (the country's most extensive bay), the High City beaches, from Farol da Barra to Flamengo, are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The exception is Porto 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 by
surfers. There are also beaches surrounded by reefs
, forming natural pools of stone, ideal for children.
Interesting places to visit near Salvador include:
BA-099 Highway, or "Line of Coconut" and "Green Line" of towns and cities, with exquisite beaches, north of Salvador heading towards Sergipe
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 Tinharé Island.
The city is served by many shopping malls, including Shopping Iguatemi,[74] Salvador Shopping,[75] Shopping Barra,[76] and Shopping Paralela.[77]
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 in
Pituba, 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 and parking for cars and tourist buses.[citation needed
]
Park of the city is an important preservation area of the
Atlantic 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
children, with a special schedule of events taking place every October.[78]
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 an
Atlantic 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.[79]
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 as drawings and paintings.[citation needed]
Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, built between 1696 and 1702.
Education
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 a museum.
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.[81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88]
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.[89]
Laser Scan preservationist project conducted by nonprofit CyArk
.
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 erudite sermons have earned him the title of best writer of the Portuguese language in the Baroque era.[90]
After the
Tenda dos Milagres, the settings of which are in Salvador.[citation needed
]
Cuisine
Acarajé
is a traditional street food in Salvador.
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 is azeite-de-dendê, an oil extracted from a palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) brought from West Africa to Brazil during colonial times.[91]
Using the milky
Mercado 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 take palm tree oil
In recent years, Capoeira has become more international and accessible even in Salvador.
Museums
Pelourinho
Salvador's Street Carnival, one of the largest in the world
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. The Museum of Modern Art of Bahia, established in 1960, is located at a historic site on the Bay of All Saints, Solar da União.
Some
monasteries 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.
Public art
The streets of Salvador are decorated with numerous murals and sculptures, many of which have been produced by the resident artist Bel Borba, a native of the city.[96]
The party official begins when Rei Momo ("King Momo", the King of Carnival) is handed the
samba-reggae
. Groups known as blocos participate, with the most famous being the blocos 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 to
Ondina 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
.
Music
Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet interior view.
Black Bahia Funk Balls play more American music—including English music—than their counterparts in Rio, while Rio's music is considered inferior and less played.[citation needed] The local dancehalls which host the balls are also distinct.[103]
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".[104]
Libraries
The first books that arrived in Salvador, were brought by the
bookstores that appeared were under the control of the religious missionaries and were mostly composed of books on religion
.
Handcrafts
Modelo Public Market.
The handcraft legacy of Bahia using only raw materials (straw, leather, clay, wood, seashells and beads), the most rudimentary crafts are reasonably inexpensive. Other pieces are created with the use of metals like gold, silver, copper and brass. 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 local wildlife. Music appears in the atabaque drums, the rain sticks, the water drums and the famous berimbau, along with other typical instruments.[106]
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 in
Mercado Modelo, which is the biggest handcraft center in Latin America.[107]
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 in Bahia.
Transportation
Airport
Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (SSA)
native vegetation. It is 28 km (17 mi) north of Central Salvador, and the road to the airport has already become one of the city's main scenic attractions.[108]
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 the bus system.
The main shareholders in Metro Salvador are the
companies Construcciones 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 million World Bank loan and contributions from the federal, Bahia state, and Salvador city governments.[109]
Luís Eduardo Magalhães viaduct.
The creation of the system was one of the actions for urban mobility in preparation for the
Fonte Nova Stadium. Line 2 also integrates Rótula do Abacaxi and the neighboring beach city of Lauro de Freitas.[110]
Northeastern Brazil.[112] Salvador has 2,500 public buses, and 2 million people are transported every day.[113]
Salvador Bus Station.
The bus 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.[114]
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.[115]
Neighborhoods
Barra
neighborhood in South Zone
Although the creation of Salvador was masterminded by 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 very cultural
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, including
capital of the colony during 250 years and which gave rise to the Pelourinho) is reflected in the magnificence of its colonial palaces, churches and convents
, most of them dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. These include:
Mannerist
architecture and decoration.
Convent and Church of São Francisco: Franciscan convent and church dating from the first half of the 18th century is another fine example of the Portuguese colonial architecture. The Baroque
decoration of the church is among the finest in Brazil.
Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim: Rococo church with Neoclassical 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 after Carnival
.
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.
Thomé 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.
. 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.
teenagers and adults in Salvador. Boliche do Aeroclube and Space Bowling are equipped with automatic lanes as well as a complete bar infrastructure
.
Fonte Nova Arena
Bahia's basketball league exists since 1993 and has 57 teams. The sport is very popular in the city of Salvador, especially among students.[120] 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.[121] There are also several gymnasiums, in clubs 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 recreational sailing. 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.[122] The large number of sailing events organized by clubs and syndicates, like oceanic races and typical boats (wooden fishing boats and canoes) races, demonstrates the sport's growing force. Currently, Salvador has a national racing schedule with dozens of events, also receiving the Mini Transat 6.50 and Les Illes du Soleil races.[122]
Rowing boat races started in the city more than a hundred years ago.[123] 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.
Notable people
Popó, former professional boxer, World Champion in two weight classes.
^As late as the 19th century, it was also known in English as San Salvador,[16] although the general name continued to be "Bahia".[16][17]
^Its exact position remains a matter of debate.[20]
^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.[25]
^This basilica was later rebuilt from 1656 to 1672.[26]
^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.[16]
^"Insolação Total (horas)". Normais Climatológicas do Brasil 1991-2020 (in Portuguese). Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 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" (in Portuguese). Terra.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Projecto Brazil (25 July 2008). "Projecto Brazil". Projectobrazil.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
^"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. Retrieved 23 August 2013.