Médina

Dakar


A bustling popular quartier with tiny tailor's shops, a busy Marché Tilène and streets brimming with life, the Médina was built as a township for the local populace by the French during colonial days. It's the birthplace of Senegalese superstar and current minister of culture Youssou N'Dour. Besides being a very real neighbourhood, where creative ideas and new trends grow between crammed, makeshift homes, it's also home to Dakar's 1664 Grande Mosquée, impressive for its sheer size and landmark minaret.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dakar attractions

1. Grande Mosquée

0.07 MILES

The impressive Grande Mosquée, built in 1964, sits in the heart of Médina, a lively neighbourhood where tiny tailor shops fight for space with improvised…

2. Train Station

0.57 MILES

The elegant facade of this train station inspires ideas of romantic train journeys (which are quickly wiped away once you enter the bleak interior).

3. Chambre de Commerce

0.78 MILES

On the northwest corner of Pl de l'Indépendance stands this grand colonnaded building, erected in 1910. It played a pivotal role for developing trade and…

4. Gouvernance

0.83 MILES

A grand building anchoring the Place de l'Indépendance, la Gouvernance was the seat of power for the French colonial administration of Senegal.

5. Place de l'Indépendance

0.86 MILES

Dakar's central square is the beating heart of the city. Symmetrically laid out and home to countless cars, crooks and 1960s concrete blocks, it also…

6. Musée Théodore Monod

1 MILES

The is one of Senegal's best museums. Exhibitions delve into African art and culture with over 9000 objects on display. Lively displays of masks and…

7. Palais Présidentiel

1.09 MILES

Surrounded by sumptuous gardens and guards in colonial-style uniforms, the presidential palace was originally built for the colonial governors but now…

8. IFAN Historical Museum

2.85 MILES

Gives a glimpse of island (and regional) history dating back to the 5th century. Exhibitions cover cultural lore, megalithic sites, key figures in the…

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      "city": "Dakar",
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