Bartolomeu Dias was born in about 1450, Portugal and he died on 29th May 1500 (aged 50 years) at sea near the Cape Town, South Africa. The first European mariner to go round the southernmost tip of Africa around the Cape of Good Hope to enter the Indian Ocean, Bartolomeu opened the sea route to Asia via the Atlantic Ocean which increased the trade with India and other Asian powers. He worked in Guinea, West Africa where Portugal had established a gold trading post. Using his experience with explorative travel, he helped in the construction of the Sao Gabriel and its sister ship, the Sao Rafael.
Do you know: Bartolomeu Dias was employed to be a ship-building consultant for the ships that were used by Vasco da Gama.
