Senegal has a rich French colonial heritage, with splendid historical sites dotted across the country. If you are looking for more than a resort holiday experience, then Senegal is the ideal choice for you.
Grand Mosque of Dakar
- House of Slaves
Located approximately three kilometres off the coast of the capital city Dakar, the House of Slaves is a museum and a historical site of the Atlantic slave trade on Green Island. The site was reconstructed and opened as a museum in 1962, largely through the work of Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye, the curator of the museum. It is said that slaves from different parts of Africa were held in this building awaiting delivery to Asia and Europe.
- African Renaissance Monument
Situated on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal’s capital, on top of one of the popular twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, the African Renaissance Monument is a 49-metre-tall bronze statue overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb. It was commissioned in 2010 to commemorate Senegal’s independence from France. It is the tallest statue in Africa.
- Grand Mosque of Dakar
The richly decorated Grand Mosque of Dakar is stylistically similar to the mausoleum of Mohammed V in Casablanca. Its tower rises to 67 metres. The mosque is one of the most important religious buildings in Dakar. The structure, which is located in Allee Pape Gueye Fall, was designed by French and Moroccan architects and was opened in 1964 by King of Morocco, Hassan II, and Senegalese President Leopold Sedar Senghor.
- IFAN Museum of African Arts
Constructed in 1936, the IFAN Museum of African Arts is one of the oldest art museums in West Africa. It was named after the former director of the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire, Theodore Andre Monod, who was a French naturalist. As the main cultural research center of the colonies of French West Africa, the museum contains some of the most important collections from across Francophone Africa.
- Enampore Village
Located in the historical Casamance region along the Senegalese coast, Enampore Village is known for its impluvium houses, which are a distinctive feature of Jola architecture. Here you will experience the simplicity and mysticism of the local community and get a chance to learn a few traditions from villagers. There is also a sacred forest in the middle of Enampore Village, where the local Diolas people perform various rituals.
- Chateau de Baron Roger Park
Chateau de Baron Roger Park was built by colonial governor, Baron Jacques Roger, who ruled the St. Louis area in the 1830s. He built the park as a weekend retreat on the banks of the Taouey River, a tributary of the Senegal River. Located some 100 kilometres from St. Louis town, the park now resembles a jungle and is home to a few families.
Author: Gesture Chidhanguro