World Heritage Identification Number: 1227
World Heritage since: 2006
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Buildings & Architectural Ensembles
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇲🇺 Mauritius
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
Map
Aapravasi Ghat: The Gateway to a New Life
The small but historically significant site of Aapravasi Ghat, located in the heart of Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius, stands as a testament to one of the most significant migrations in human history. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, this 1,640 m² area holds immense importance not only for Mauritius but also for numerous other countries that were part of the British Empire during the period when the site was operational.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
In the district of Port Louis, lies the 1,640 m2 site where the modern indentured labour diaspora began. In 1834, the British Government selected the island of Mauritius to be the first site for what it called ‘the great experiment’ in the use of ‘free’ labour to replace slaves. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured labourers arrived from India at Aapravasi Ghat to work in the sugar plantations of Mauritius, or to be transferred to Reunion Island, Australia, southern and eastern Africa or the Caribbean. The buildings of Aapravasi Ghat are among the earliest explicit manifestations of what was to become a global economic system and one of the greatest migrations in history.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (vi): Aapravasi Ghat, as the first site chosen by the British Government in 1834 for the ‘great experiment’ in the use of indentured, rather than slave labour, is strongly associated with memories of almost half a million indentured labourers moving from India to Mauritius to work on sugar cane plantations or to be transshipped to other parts of the world.
Encyclopedia Record: Aapravasi Ghat
Aapravasi Ghat is a building complex located in Port Louis, Mauritius, the first British colony to receive indentured, or contracted, labour workforce from many countries. From 1849 to 1923, half a million Indian indentured labourers passed through the Immigration Depot, to be transported to plantations throughout the British Empire. The large-scale migration of the labourers left an indelible mark on the societies of many former British colonies, with Indians constituting a substantial proportion of their national populations. In Mauritius alone, 68 percent of the current total population is of Indian ancestry. The Immigration Depot has thus become an important reference point in the history and cultural identity of Mauritius.Additional Site Details
Area: 0.164 hectares
Number of Components: 1
Coordinates: -20.1586388889 , 57.5031666666
Image
© Suyash Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Aapravasi Ghat from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
-
Memories of indenture: An analysis of representations of indentured labour at the Aapravasi Ghat and the 1860 heritage centre
A comparative analysis of exhibitions at Aapravasi Ghat (Mauritius) and the 1860 Heritage Centre (South Africa) reveals how these sites shape memories of indentured labor, a transnational system that dispersed populations across continents. The study highlights their role in fostering connective memory through narratives tied to democratic nation-building and postcolonial identities, while also exploring diasporic networks and contemporary interpretations of historical materials. By adopting a transnational oceanic framework, the research demonstrates how these sites can reimagine indenture's representations, suggesting new directions for museum practices to engage with this complex history.
Cloete, N. (2025). Memories of indenture: An analysis of representations of indentured labour at the Aapravasi Ghat and the 1860 heritage centre. Memory Studies, 18(6), 1497–1513. https://doi.org/10.1177/17506980251334980
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Reimagining the Aapravasi Ghat: Khal Torabully's poetry and the indentured diaspora
Khal Torabully's poetry collection, 'Voices from the Aapravasi Ghat: Indentured Imaginaries,' challenges traditional narratives of Mauritius' indentured labor history by highlighting the diverse ethnicities—Indian, African, Malagasy, and Chinese—that contributed to its diaspora. Through his concept of Coolitude poetics, Torabully reimagines the Aapravasi Ghat as a foundational space for complex, open-ended identities that promote diversity while acknowledging contradictions. This study reveals how Torabully's work disrupts ethnic distinctiveness but inadvertently reproduces Indo-centric perspectives, particularly through the themes of 'kala pani' (dark waters) and the fakir figure.
Mohammed, S. (2021). Reimagining the Aapravasi Ghat: Khal Torabully’s poetry and the indentured diaspora. The Journal of Indian Ocean World Studies, 4(2), 118–143. https://doi.org/10.26443/jiows.v4i2.80
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Slaves, Convicts, Abolitionism and the Global Origins of the Post-Emancipation Indentured Labor System
Recent research challenges long-held assumptions about the origins of the post-emancipation indentured labor system, revealing that it emerged 25 years earlier than previously believed and was initially centered on Chinese rather than Indian workers. The British East India Company played a pivotal role in this global migrant labor system's development during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with its influence extending beyond the Indian Ocean region. This study sheds new light on the interconnected free and forced labor trades that shaped colonial plantation economies, drawing from international conferences and supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund.
Allen, R. B. (2014). Slaves, Convicts, Abolitionism and the Global Origins of the Post-Emancipation Indentured Labor System. Slavery & Abolition, 35(2), 328–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144039x.2013.870789
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Privileging the Diaspora in Mauritius: Making World Heritage for a Multicultural Nation
Aapravasi Ghat, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List as a symbol of the Indian diaspora, serves as a contested site for Mauritian nationalism. While it represents transnational diasporic identity, its designation reflects a political vision that prioritizes diaspora over mixed or entangled identities. This study reveals how diaspora functions as a primary modality for distinguishing Mauritian citizenship and fostering a sense of loyalty to a single place, akin to primordial nationalisms. The research examines the emergence and operation of Aapravasi Ghat as a diasporic heritage project, highlighting the dynamic nature of identities and the political implications of its World Heritage status.
Swift, C. L. (2013). Privileging the Diaspora in Mauritius: Making World Heritage for a Multicultural Nation. Diaspora, 16(3), 287–322. https://doi.org/10.3138/diaspora.16.3.287
View Publication Record | Read Publication
