Dili was founded as a Portuguese colony in 1520 and later became the capital of Portuguese Timor in 1769. The city developed slowly and became an administrative center for the Portuguese. In 1772, Dili had a population of about 750 people, including many Indians from Goa and Mozambique, half of whom were slaves. At that time, the city was a collection of wooden huts with an earthen rampart as an outer fortification and a church dedicated to Saint Anthony. In 1796, construction of the first stone fortress began under Governor João Baptista Verquaim, and during the 19th century, Dili was gradually expanded with more administrative buildings and infrastructure, strengthening the city’s role as a colonial center.

In 1859, a treaty was signed between Portugal and the Netherlands, in which Portugal ceded the western part of Timor. Dili then continued to develop as the capital of the Portuguese part of the island. During World War II, Dili was occupied by Japanese forces, causing significant damage. After the war, the city returned to Portuguese control, and in 1974, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal led to political changes in East Timor. In 1975, East Timor declared its independence as Timor-Leste, leading to an Indonesian invasion. Indonesia ruled until 1999, when a referendum resulted in East Timor’s independence.

Dili became the capital of the new country in 2002. After independence, Dili experienced periods of violence and instability, most notably in 2006, when political and social tensions led to widespread destruction. The city has since undergone significant reconstruction and development with the support of international organizations and the United Nations. Today, Dili is a growing city with a young population and a mix of modern and historical elements. Dili’s history has been marked over the years by colonialism, war, and the struggle for independence, which have shaped its identity and culture.

The center of Dili is characterized by a mixture of colonial architecture, modern buildings and lovely recreational areas along the sea. Avenida Marginal is a street that runs along the water through the center of Dili, and along it you can see the 0 kilometer mark, which marks the place from which distances are measured. The mark is located immediately next to the Parliament of East Timor and the government building Palácio do Governo, which is one of the capital’s fine sights from the Portuguese era. Palácio do Governo is the official workplace of the Prime Minister of East Timor and the constitutional government. The building in its current version was built in the 1950s-1960s to replace an earlier and significantly smaller government palace, which was built between 1874 and 1881. Palácio do Governo is known for its Portuguese colonial architecture with an elongated, single-story building and a colonnaded facade.

Behind Palácio do Governo you can see the National Parliament of East Timor, a modern building that plays a central role in the political life of East Timor. The building combines modern architecture with cultural elements, and it stands in stylistic contrast to the Palácio do Governo. You can continue the walk along the water to the west, where you come through the center of Dili. At the waterfront you come to the park Jardim Motael in the old Portuguese colonial center, and here is the church Igreja de Santo António de Motael, which is the oldest Roman Catholic church in East Timor. The church was originally built around 1800, while the current building is somewhat newer, as it had to be reconstructed after Japanese attacks during World War II.

The Igreja de Santo António de Motael also played a role in East Timor’s struggle for independence. On 27 October 1991, young people demonstrated against Indonesian rule, and the church’s priest offered them protection in the church. That same night, Sebastião Gomes was shot in the church by Indonesian forces, which led to the Santa Cruz massacre on 12 November 1991 in Dili, when Indonesian soldiers opened fire on pro-independence demonstrators at the Santa Cruz cemetery during a demonstration at Gomes’ funeral. At least 250 people were killed in the massacre, and the incident became a turning point in East Timor’s struggle for independence.

You can learn more about East Timor’s resistance and independence from Indonesia at the Timorese Resistance Archive and Museum. It is a museum dedicated to East Timor’s struggle for independence, and exhibits from 1975 to 2000 provide an in-depth look at the country’s history during the crucial decades of its transition from Portuguese rule to an independent nation. You can learn more about the fighting in East Timor at the Dare War Memorial Museum. This military museum, located in the mountains just south of Dili, focuses on East Timor’s role in World War II and the soldiers who fought against the Japanese here.

Also worth visiting is the Cristo Rei statue, a little northeast of Dili. Cristo Rei is an impressive statue of Jesus Christ standing atop a hill overlooking Dili and both the sea and the mountainous coastline that characterizes the region. The statue was erected in 1996 and inaugurated by Indonesian President Suharto as a gift from the Indonesian government. Jesus looks towards the city of Dili on the tip of a globe, and the statue measures an impressive 27 meters. Cristo Rei is namesake of other large and famous Christ the Redeemer statues in, among others, Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon, and Dili’s Cristo Rei is one of East Timor’s most well-known sights.