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
7.2 MILES
For a quick escape from the frenetic streets of Dakar, head to peaceful Île de N'Gor, a tiny island just off Dakar's north shore. It has a few calm…
3.04 MILES
Set in a former grand home allegedly used as a departure point for slaves, this is one of the most important monuments to the slave trade and features the…
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…
4.78 MILES
Allegedly Africa's highest statue, the African Renaissance Monument was unveiled in 2010 to commemorate Senegal's 50 years of independence from France. At…
5.04 MILES
A photogenic 1864 lighthouse graces the top of one of Dakar's few hills. It's worth making leisurely 20-minute walk, with sweeping views across the city…
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…
6.17 MILES
In Yoff village, take a look at the Layen Mausoleum, a shrine to the founder of the Layen Muslim brotherhood. Residents of Yoff are noted for their strong…
6.88 MILES
Plage de N'gor is a small beach popular with families and football-playing youths, and there are a few snack spots with tables on the sands. It's not a…
Nearby Dakar attractions
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…
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).
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
- placement: superzone
- path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
- possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
- targeting:
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