The Casa das Minas is one of the most historically significant African religious sites in the Americas: a terreiro of the Jeje tradition, maintaining practices brought directly from the Kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin) by enslaved Africans in the early 1800s. The religious community here has continued its ceremonies and spiritual practices with remarkable continuity for over two hundred years.
The Casa das Minas does not operate as a tourist attraction and visits are not encouraged without a specific introduction. But understanding its existence and significance is part of understanding São Luís. The African spiritual traditions of Maranhão — Tambor de Mina, as the local tradition is called — are an integral part of the city's culture, and their influence can be felt in the music, the festivals, and the daily life of the city's Afro-Brazilian majority.