Dar es Salaam
/ˌdɑːr ɛs səˈlɑːm/noun
The largest city and former capital of Tanzania, on the country’s Indian Ocean coast.
Did you know?The phrase dār al-salām, “abode of peace,” appears in the Qur’an as a name for paradise, giving the city’s name a distinctly spiritual resonance.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
dār
“House, dwelling, or abode”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
salām
“Peace, safety, or well-being”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
dār al-salām
“The abode of peace; a phrase associated with paradise”
1862
Arabic
Dār al-Salām
“Abode of peace; the name given by Sultan Majid of Zanzibar to his newly established settlement”
19th Century
Swahili
Dar es Salaam
“Swahili form of the Arabic name, traditionally interpreted as “abode of peace””
Modern English
English
Dar es Salaam
“Tanzania’s principal city and major Indian Ocean port”