Dakar, Senegal

Mar. 30, 2023

Once again, we were unable to visit a port we were really looking forward to. We had gathered to debark at Dakar when the captain announced that passengers and crew were not allowed to leave the ship due to civil unrest. Only provisions would be loaded, and the ship would leave. As it turned out, even the loading of provisions didn’t happen because the dock hands refused to work. So, we missed Madagascar due to Cyclone Freddy and now Dakar due to demonstrations. This was not a complete surprise as I had registered with the Dept. of State and had received an email warning about possible demonstrations in Dakar several days earlier. My strong suggestion to would-be international travelers is to enroll in the STEP program at state.gov.

Since I had been preparing to blog our trip to Dakar, I decided to go ahead and do it anyway, with the difference being that most photos are from stock. As usual, I’ll start with some facts about Dakar and Senegal.

Dakar is the capital of Senegal, and one of the chief seaports on the western African coast. It is located midway between the mouths of the Gambia and Sénégal rivers on the southeastern side of the Cape Verde Peninsula, close to Africa’s most westerly point. Served by multiple air and maritime travel routes, Senegal is known as the “Gateway to Africa.” The country lies at an ecological boundary where semiarid grassland, oceanfront, and tropical rainforest converge; this diverse environment has endowed Senegal with a wide variety of plant and animal life. It is from this rich natural heritage that the country’s national symbols were chosen: the baobab tree and the lion.

Here is the Senegalese flag:

Dakar is the most important city in Senegal. This lively and attractive metropolis is a popular tourist destination. Although the government announced plans to eventually move the capital inland, Dakar will remain one of Africa’s most important harbors and an economic and cultural center for West Africa as a whole. Dakar’s harbor is one of the best in western Africa, protected by the limestone cliffs of the cape and by a system of breakwaters. The city’s name comes from dakhar, a Wolof name for the tamarind tree and the name of a coastal Lebu village that was located south of what is now the first pier.

Here is a view of the port taken from our balcony on the ship.

Dakar was founded in 1857 when the French built a fort on the site of the modern Place de l’Indépendance to safeguard the interests of merchants who had been settling there for 20 years and of the residents of Gorée, a waterless island in the lee of the peninsula that once was an outpost for slave and other trading. By 1862 a short breakwater had been built on Dakar Point and a town laid out on the low limestone platform behind the sandy beach. The opening in 1886 of Western Africa’s first railway, from Saint-Louis to Dakar, was a great impetus to Dakar’s development, and the railroad also stimulated the cultivation of peanuts in the vicinity of its track.

During World War II peanut-oil refining became an important industry in Dakar because of local and North African needs for vegetable oil, which had been previously refined mostly in France. Other industries were established in the city, but by 1961 French West Africa had split into eight independent states, and Dakar’s markets were consequently reduced. Dakar was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation (1959–60), and in 1960 it became the capital of the Republic of Senegal. Since World War II the city has undergone much urban expansion. Numerous suburbs and shantytowns have developed around it.

The city has several contrasting districts. In the southern district are public buildings, hospitals, and embassies. North is the business district, which is focused on the Place de l’Indépendance. North and east lie the quarters associated with the port, such as the port proper, the fishing harbor, and the peanut-export sector. Near the latter, and close to the railway, are the older peanut-crushing plants and other factories, and farther north is the industrial estate of Hann.

Dakar is one of tropical Africa’s leading industrial and service centers. Its industries include peanut-oil refining, fish canning, flour milling, brewing, truck assembly, and petroleum refining. Many cultural institutions are located in Dakar, such as the Grand National Theatre of Dakar; the Daniel Sorano National Theatre; the Théodore Monod African Art Museum, a museum of the Fundamental Institute of Black Africa (Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire; IFAN) that focuses on the anthropology and art of Africa; and the Museum of Black Civilizations, which has a large collection of African cultural artifacts. There are also excellent museums of the sea and of history in nearby Gorée. The corniche road (cut into the cliff) around Cape Manuel offers fine views of the harbor and the islands. There are some good beaches. Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport, to the north of the city, is an important stopping point for flights between Europe and South America.

The population of greater Dakar in 2023 is 3,301,718.

First, see the Presidential Palace, built in fetching 1906 colonial style and guarded by the famous Spahi in their red-and-blue uniforms.

Senegal, and Dakar in particular, is well-known for its religious tolerance, with the majority Muslim and minority Catholic populations living in perfect harmony. As such, Dakar has a rich tapestry of stunning mosques and churches, such as the imposing 3,000 capacity cathedral in Plateau, and the distinctive green dome and four minarets of Mosque El Hadji Omar Al Foutiyou. The jewel in the crown, however, must surely be the Mosque of the Divinity. Uniquely set in a horseshoe cove in Ouakam, its twin towers stare out across the endless Atlantic, while fishermen ward off pelicans from their haul on the beach in front.

The African Renaissance Monument (French: Monument de la Renaissance Africaine) is a 171 ft tall copper statue located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, outside Dakar, Senegal. Built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb, the statue was designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby after an idea presented by president Abdoulaye Wade and built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, a company from North Korea.

If you climb onto the top of the beacon, you can see the city below.

The Marché Kermel is a great late 19th century architecture (reminiscent of Eiffel) urban market of manageable size, Souvenirs, African art and clothes around the outside, dive in to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a local “grocery” market. Here is the entrance to the market.

Necklaces, bags, paintings, statuettes, leather shoes, the craft village of Soumbédioune is always rich in the creations of its artists. Artists who offer a wide range of valuable and quality objects that perfectly reflect African beauty and identity. From bronze sculptors to painting under glass via leather goods, earrings and bracelets in ebony, everything is there. As soon as he enters, the decor, rich in colors, announces the quality of the items awaiting the visitor. The rhythmic noise of the sculptors is pleasant to the ears. The village, very willing to satisfy the most demanding customers, also produces on order various objects or end-of-year gifts, personalized souvenirs. The artisanal village of Soumbédioune, created in 1961, is located in the Medina district of Dakar on the western corniche. Showcase of Senegalese craftsmanship, it has made a name for itself over time.

Now it’s time to set sail for Tenerife.