Why Dakar
Dakar, the city of the African Renaissance Monument
The concept of ‘African Renaissance’ refers to a popular Pan-African philosophical and political ideology centred on the role of Africa in a globalised world from the start of the 21st century. It is used to describe the continent moving onwards from the colonial period of struggle against oppression to a new era of ‘re-birth’ within the global scene.
The concept was Inspired largely by the work of two Senegalese intellectuals, Cheikh Anta Diop and Léopold Sédar Senghor, who, during the 1930s in Paris, developed the literary framework of ‘negritude’ to define the Black world, a cultural and identity-based concept rather than a political one. The concept of African Renaissance is paradigmatic, it shows how politicians appropriate, in a more or less explicit manner, the past. It allows us to understand how political concepts circulate, change and take directions contrary to their original meaning.
Tourist Attractions
The top 3 tourist attractions to visit
House of Slaves
The House of Slaves and its Door of No Return is a museum and memorial to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade on Gorée Island, 3 km off the coast of the city of Dakar, Senegal.
Address:
MJ93+23P, Dakar, Senegal
Why should you visit it?
Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, its architecture is characterized by the contrast between the grim slave-quarters and the elegant houses of the slave traders. Today it continues to serve as a reminder of human exploitation and as a sanctuary for reconciliation.
Mosque of the Divinity
The Mosque of Divinity built 1997, is a mosque located in Ouakam, Senegal. It is a structure with two minarets. The mosque provides a view of the Atlantic Ocean, as the mosque lies near the shore, at the Corniche-Ouest
Address:
PG75+VWH, Dakar, Senegal
Why should you visit it?
Visitors consider the mosque a must-see in the Senegalese capital of Dakar, not only for its sheer size and the panorama that it offers, but as a unique architectural monument that melds elements of modernism with traditional Islamic design.
The Museum of Black Civilisations
The Museum of Black Civilisations is a national museum in Dakar, Senegal, that opened on 6 December 2018. It is directed by Hamady Bocoum, an archaeologist and researcher at Cheikh-Anta-Diop University.
Address:
Dakar, Senegal
Why should you visit it?
A Breathtaking Architecture The architecture of the museum is inspired by the impluvium huts of Casamance and Great Zimbabwe. You will be able to discover four thematic floors. Each level exposes the social and technological advances transmitted by black civilizations in chronological order.