Finally, we arrived in Dodoma, located in the semi-arid, central plateau of Tanzania, characterised by hot, dry conditions and a single rainy season, making it prone to drought. Its topography features elevations of 1,200-1,500 meters, including parts of the Great Rift Valley, with sandy soils supporting unique vineyards.
Dodoma’s history began as the small market town of Idodomya, before being formally established by German colonists in 1907 during the construction of the Tanzanian railway. The name “Dodoma” means “it has sunk” in the local Gogo language, referring to a legend about an elephant that became stuck in the mud. In 1974, the city was designated as Tanzania’s future capital to promote centralised development and socio-economic growth away from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam. We can say that it was not successful, as in many other countries that have tried similar projects.
It is not easy to take sightseeing photos here, as even churches do not permit photography. This tiny artificial capital has a somewhat strange atmosphere. We attempted to explore, with varying degrees of success, a few must-see attractions, including the Bunge (Parliament), Gaddafi Mosque, and the Lutheran and Catholic Cathedrals.
Parking location – Dodoma: 6.202989S 35.749894E (🚻,🅿️,🚿,💦)