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The very early days of Sabara are represented by the tiny Igreja de Nossa Senhora de O (Tues-Sun 8-11am & 1-5pm), one of the oldest, and certainly one of the most unusual, colonial churches in Brazil. It's a couple of kilometres from Praca Santa Rita: a signposted walk, or you can take the local bus marked "Esplanada" from the square. It is extremely unusual since it doesn't look in the least Portuguese: an austere, irregularly shaped exterior is topped off by an unmistakeably Chinese tower, complete with pagoda-like upturns at the corners. The cramped interior, dominated by a gilded arch over the altar, also shows distinct oriental influences, but the church is so old - it was started in 1698 - that nobody knows who was responsible for its unique design. The most likely explanation is that the Portuguese, despairing of the local talent, imported a group of Chinese craftsmen from Macau. There were certainly artisans from Macau in Diamantina, to the north, where streets are named after them, but here no other trace of them survives.
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