THE BEST MUSEUMS TO VISIT IN DAKAR
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17/8/2024
6 MUSEUMS TO ENJOY ART IN THE SENEGALESE CAPITAL
While the Senegalese capital boasts galleries and art spaces showcasing the best contemporary art, Dakar's museums are another way to enjoy and celebrate the rich local culture and its different facets.
Sculpture, photography, archives, historical objects, paintings: several public institutions offer space to admire the diversity of Senegalese art. With their impressive architecture, they form a jewel that gives black art the place it deserves and is essential to promoting local culture and art, helping to make Senegal and its capital a cultural hub in the West African region. Here's our list of museums to visit while in Dakar.
MUSEUM OF BLACK CIVILIZATIONS (MCN) - DAKAR PLATEAU
The Museum of Black Civilisations (Musée des Civilisations Noires) is one of Senegal's national museums and has an international reputation. The circular building, remarkable for its size and incredible architecture, houses an extensive collection that aims to represent "Africa's contribution to the world's cultural and scientific heritage" and "the history and contemporary cultures of black people everywhere." The permanent collection includes objects from Senegal, West Africa, and Africa, sculptures, masks, tools, photographs, paintings, and archaeological pieces.
The museum is split into several sections that explore the origins of humanity, the great African empires, popular arts and traditions, and the continent's religions. Visitors will need several hours to experience what the museum has to offer fully. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions on black figures or art.
A pan-African cultural project of which Léopold Sédar Senghor, the first President of Senegal, was one of the main initiators, the museum is an ode to all black culture. It creates a dialogue with the creation of the various black diaspora from Europe to South and North America.
Museum of Black Civilisations (Musée des Civilisations Noires) - (Tue-Sun 10am-7pm)
Autoroute prolongée x Place de la Gare
Dakar
Senegal
IFAN MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ARTS - DAKAR PLATEAU
The IFAN Museum of African Art (Musée Theodore-Monod d'Art Africain) is located in a beautiful building in the Plateau district, south of Dakar and five minutes from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Victories. Founded in 1966, the museum is the main cultural research center in French West Africa, with expertise in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its mission is to bring the richness of African cultural diversity to the rest of the world.
As a center for preserving and promoting African heritage, the museum's permanent collection offers a variety of pieces from Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, and 20 other countries. With more than 10,000 objects representing all aspects of traditional life, including ancient weapons, tapestries, musical instruments, clothing, and masks, it is an essential stop for anyone wishing to learn more about West African culture.
One of the oldest art museums in Africa, the museum is a two-story white building of Neo-Sudanese and colonial architecture. The second floor hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures, and events on ancient art as well as contemporary exhibitions of painting, photography, and installations.
IFAN Museum - (Tue-Sun 9am-5pm)
Rue Place 18, Dakar, Senegal, Pl de Soweto. Plateau
Dakar
Senegal
MAISON OUSMANE SOW - DAKAR YOFF
The Maison Ousmane Sow is a house dedicated to the work and memory of the Senegalese sculptor Ousmane Sow, famous for his imposing , larger-than-life statues. Exhibited in Senegal, France, Germany, and Italy, the late artist is a monument in the history of Senegalese art and inspired fellow Senegalese sculptors such as the late Ndary Lo. The house displays finished and unfinished works by the Dakar-born artist, such as his series inspired by the African peoples, Nouba, Massai, or Peuhl.
The address was Sow's old home and studio, where he spent hours thinking and creating. Very personal, this unique house is remarkable for its collection as well as for its architecture inspired by the Sphinx; the artist himself conceived the global design. The floor is covered with tiles made by the artist himself, and the walls are painted with "his material." Located in Yoff, the Maison Ousmane Sow is a place to discover the artist's work and a way to enter the mind of this prolific creative.
Maison Ousmane Sow - (Tue-Sun 9am-5pm)
Villa Sphinx lot 10 rue 65, Ngor
Dakar
Senegal
CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM BORIBANA - DAKAR NGOR
Located in the Almadies district on the Route de l'Aeroport, the Boribana Contemporary Art Museum and Residence complements the many galleries scattered around the capital and is the only museum dedicated to contemporary art.
Initiated by Boubacar Kone to help locals discover the artistic talent of the African, Caribbean, and American diaspora, the space was purchased by the Senegalese state in 2014. He shares his extensive collection in this museum, which he acquired while living and traveling in the USA and Canada.
The large white building offers a 1000 m2 space on two floors, with large windows to display the works of art. The space is also significant for its large garden with large sculptures and African statues. It also has a large exhibition hall, a library, three studios, and a film projection room.
Boribana Museum - Tue-Sun (10am-6pm)
Route de Ngor
Dakar
Senegal
HENRIETTE-BATHILY WOMEN’S MUSEUM - DAKAR FANN
The Women's Museum of Dakar is dedicated to "women from here and elsewhere," a tribute to Senegalese women who have shaped the country's history and are part of everyday life. It is named after Henriette Bathily, former director of the Cultural Department of the French Cultural Centre, who helped organize the first major exhibition on Senegalese women in 1975.
The space highlights the traditions and customs of women from different ethnic groups, including some interviews with local women and pioneers, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, and public officials, with the vision of working towards the education, liberation, emancipation, moral, and scientific empowerment of all Senegalese women.
Initially located in Gorée, where it was inaugurated in June 1994, the museum was transferred to Dakar at the Place du Souvenir Africain. The All Women Directive team organizes exhibitions, conferences, and workshops highlighting women's initiatives and societal contributions.
Mufem - Tue-Sun (10am - 6pm)
Place du souvenir africain
Dakar
Senegal
LIGHTHOUSE MAMELLES MUSEUM - DAKAR MAMELLES
The Mamelles Lighthouse Museum is a museum dedicated to lighthouses, and a great place to enjoy one of the best views of Dakar. Located on the Mamelles, the highest hills after which it is named, the lighthouse overlooks the city and is one of its symbols. As the most westerly and highest point of Dakar and the African continent, its light makes it a strategic point for guiding all boats at night towards the port of Dakar.
The museum can be reached by a short shuttle bus ride or, for the more intrepid, a hike around Mamelles Hill. At an altitude of 110 m, it offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city of Dakar. From there, you can admire Dakar's neighborhoods and main monuments, such as the Cap-Vert peninsula, the African Renaissance Monument, or Madeleine Island.
Built in 1864, the Light House is a cylindrical, all-white tower attached to the front of the guard house. At night, the building is used to keep watch from the watch room on the second floor. The museum displays objects and archives related to the lighthouse and marine life on the ground floor. In addition to the visit, the Mamelles also has a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a roof terrace where live concerts, shows, and events are organized every Tuesday and Sunday. It is the perfect place for an afternoon visit and to enjoy the sunset from the roof terrace.
Lighthouse Mamelles Museum - Tue-Sun (10am - 6pm)
Mamelles, Route de l'Aeroport
Dakar
Senegal
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