Luanda Bay is a body of water, located in front of the city of Luanda, capital of Angola. In front of the bay are located several monuments of great historical value, such as the Banco de Angola Building and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré. The bay, whose waters are protected by the island of Luanda, was the place of foundation of the city of Luanda by Paulo Dias de Novais in 1575/1576. On the banks of the bay, the so-called Cidade Baixa de Luanda grew, where most of the city's population settled, while Cidade Alta de Luanda was formed as an administrative and military center.