Dakar - the capital of Senegal

The westernmost city of the African continent is the capital of Senegal, Dakar. The city is located on the peninsula of the Green Cape, washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This place is characterized by a fairly favorable climate, since the sea breeze has a refreshing effect all year round. The port of Dakar, founded in 1857 by French colonists on the west coast of Africa, is currently carrying out an impressive volume of international cargo transportation.

The capital of Senegal is the main political center of the country. It houses the presidential residence and various institutions of power structures. As in any other capital, industrial enterprises, financial institutions, educational institutions and cultural centers are concentrated in Dakar. The population of the Republic of Senegal, which has a capital of more than 1 million inhabitants (with a population of more than 2 million), is ethnically heterogeneous and includes more than 20 ethnic groups: Wolof, Fulbe, Serer, etc. Europeans (mostly French) make up about 1% of the total Number. The capital of Senegal is the place where one of the most important rally-raids of the planet, previously known as Paris-Dakar, and now it's just Dakar, finishes.

The religious center of a small African state is also its capital, Dakar. Senegal is a Muslim country in which 90% of the population profess Islam. One of the main mosques of the Republic of Senegal is in its capital. The project of the Dakar cathedral mosque, opened in 1964, was developed by architects from France and Morocco. The architectural style of the building in many respects repeats the style of the Muslim temples of Morocco and other similar monuments of Islamic architecture. The height of the square in the section of the tower is 67 m. The surface of the minaret is decorated with a simple geometric pattern (in accordance with the traditions of Islam). Since 1974, the Islamic Dakar Institute has been operating under the mosque, which is engaged in research and propaganda of this religion.

The main attractions of the capital include the Museum of African Art named after Theodore Monod. The museum's collection is diverse and includes about 9 thousand exhibits, indicating a high level of development of the art of the peoples of West Africa. Visitors are given the opportunity to see a variety of ceremonial masks (singer, warrior, judge, beggar, hunter), drums, sacred figurines, other religious and ritual objects. In the museum's exposition, everyday objects are widely represented: agricultural implements, wicker baskets, pumpkin vessels.

The capital of Senegal is proud of the fact that it is the highest statue in Africa - the African Renaissance Monument, located on a high hill on the westernmost point of the continent. The height of the monument, opened on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the agreement on granting the state of Senegal independence from France, is 49 meters. According to the president of this very poor African country, the monument, which includes bronze statues of a man, a woman and a child, will become a symbol of the revival of the peoples of the "black continent".