The name
Bassam may come from an ancient African word for the mouth of the
Comoé River. Inhabited by the
Nzema people since the 15th century, the city grew into a profitable fishing village and a trading center. In 1843, after signing a treaty with the African ruler of the Grand-Bassam region, the French built Fort Memours on the banks of the river. This fort became the primary French trading point in the region, and after the
Berlin Conference in 1885, became a base for exploration of West Africa by the colonizers. Grand-Bassam became the capital for the French
Colonie de Côte d’Ivoire from 1893 until 1900. In 1899, the colonial administration was transferred to the nearby town,
Bingerville, after a devastating outbreak of
yellow fever, which decimated the town's population. However, the town remained a key seaport until the growth of Abidjan in the 1930s. The town has the aura of a ghost town, since large sections have been abandoned for decades. In 1960, with independence, all remaining administrative offices were transferred to Abidjan, and for many years Grand-Bassam was inhabited only by squatters. Beginning in the late 1970s, the town began to revive as a tourist destination and craft centre. In March 2016, the town was targeted in an
Islamist mass shooting that perpretated by
AQIM, which killed 19 people. ==Sports==