Aapravasi Ghat

Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis is the 19th-century immigration depot where indentured labourers arriving in Mauritius were processed and accommodated. It is a key site for the history of indenture and migration in the Indian Ocean region.

On site are the archaeological remains of the depot compound and a dedicated interpretation centre that displays documents, photographs and artefacts related to the arrival and processing of migrants. The interpretation materials trace routes, contracts and personal stories of those who passed through the depot from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century.

The compound was established when colonial administrations began bringing contracted labourers to replace emancipated enslaved labour in plantations; it served as the arrival and registration point and as temporary housing. Over time the site fell into ruin before archaeological work and conservation created the present museum and preserved remains.

Aapravasi Ghat is located on the waterfront in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, close to the harbour and the city’s administrative core.

• Historical significance: The site marks the starting point for many of the island's Indo-Mauritian families and documents the migration of indentured workers from the mid-19th century onward.
• Research resources: Visitors can view archival material, ship manifests and archaeological finds at the interpretation centre to trace individual migration stories and labour routes.

What to See #

• Depot ruins: Ruins and archaeological remains of the 19th-century immigration depot where indentured labourers from Asia were processed and housed on arrival in Mauritius.
• Interpretation centre: An on-site interpretation centre and museum that presents the history of indenture, arrival records and artefacts related to the migration of contract workers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.