African Renaissance Monument

The Monument de la Renaissance Africaine stands on one of the two volcanic hills at the western end of Dakar: a bronze group of a man, woman and child, forty-nine metres tall, on a plinth that lifts it higher again. It was unveiled in 2010, built by a North Korean studio, and it has been contested ever since over its cost, its style and its authorship. A lift runs up inside to a viewing platform in the man's head, which gives the best view over the city and the ocean.

History

Site work on the 100-metre hill began in 2006 and the statue in 2008, and it was dedicated on 4 April 2010, the 50th anniversary of independence. Designed by the architect Pierre Goudiaby Atepa after an idea of President Abdoulaye Wade and built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, it is the tallest statue in Africa (Wikipedia, African Renaissance Monument).

The main sights

• The bronze group - a forty-nine metre figure group, taller than the Statue of Liberty.
• The viewing head - a platform inside the figure reached by lift, looking over Dakar.
• The stairs - a long ceremonial flight up the hill to the base.
• The Mamelles - the twin volcanic hills the monument shares with the lighthouse.

When to go

November to May is the dry season and clearest. Late afternoon gives the best light on the bronze and the coolest climb. Haze can flatten the view in the harmattan months.

Practical notes

The monument is genuinely divisive in Senegal, over its cost, its non-Senegalese design and construction, and its aesthetic; visitors who read only the tourist copy get half the story. The stairs are long and unshaded, and the lift is sometimes out of service.

Nearby

The Mamelles lighthouse is on the neighbouring hill, and the Almadies point is northwest.

Key facts