The Museu Afro-Brasileiro sits in the old medical school building on the Terreiro de Jesus. Its three main rooms cover the routes of the slave trade from West and Central Africa, the religious and cultural survivals in Bahia, and the contemporary practice of candomblé. The standout is a wall of carved cedar panels by Carybé — the Argentine-Brazilian artist — depicting the orixás (the candomblé deities), each in his or her colour, attribute, and posture.
Allow at least two hours. The museum is one of the few in Salvador with strong labelling in English, and the strongest place to start any thoughtful visit to the city.