Book your day tour from N'Djamena to the village of Gaoui; the former Capital of Sao Civilization which is known for its traditional architecture and pottery. Also the seat of a famous sultan of Chad.

About 10 kilometers northeast of N'Djamena, Chad's capital, the village of Gaoui stands as a testament to an ancient culture. This settlement, set in the Chari River floodplain, offers escape from the city, with mud-brick homes and thatched roofs around courtyards. Gaoui is the last bastion of the Sao civilization, an Iron Age society whose remnants show advanced metallurgy, pottery, and settlements that dotted the Lake Chad basin from the 6th century BCE. Visitors arrive by short drive from the city, greeted by women preparing millet, a rhythm that has continued through generations.

At the village center sits a museum in an adobe structure. Here, you can view artifacts such as bronze figurines, terracotta vessels and iron tools. Displays also highlight the Kotoko people, an ethnic group in this region and parts of Cameroon and Nigeria, whose ancestors took over Sao influences. 

To understand Gaoui's significance, consider the history of the Sao civilization, which lasted from the 6th century BCE to the 16th century CE in the Lake Chad region. The Sao were farmers, artisans, and traders who built settlements with stone walls, some over 10 meters high—remnants still on nearby ridges. Evidence from 20th-century expeditions shows they domesticated cattle, cultivated sorghum and millet in fields, and traded salt, ivory, and slaves with empires like Kanem-Bornu. By the medieval period, migrations led to dispersal and descendants merging into groups like the Kotoko

For your day tour pick you up at your chosen hotel in Ndjamena. 

All City Tours with Chad TT are with professional guides (no amateurs,) local expert, with private clean secure vehicles. All guides speak English as well as French, and are licensed and educated about the history of Chad spanning from the end of WWII and the German aerial bombing through to the present day state of the economy and law.

Included:

• Tours as listed
• English and French speaking guide
• Transport
• Entrance fees where required
  
  

Excluded:

• Meals, drinks 
• Tips