Île Saint-Louis (Senegal)

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Île Saint-Louis
UNESCO world heritage UNESCO World Heritage Emblem

Saint-Louis - Ile sud (1) .JPG
National territory: SenegalSenegal Senegal
Type: Culture
Criteria : ii, iv
Reference No .: 956
UNESCO region : Africa
History of enrollment
Enrollment: 2000  (session 24)

The Île Saint-Louis , an elongated island of around 70 hectares in front of the mouth of the Senegal River in the Atlantic, bears the historic city center of Saint-Louis and was the first French settlement in Africa and the first capital of Senegal . It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000 .

history

Predecessor companies of the French Senegalese company had their first trading office in Senegal since 1628. This was moved in 1659 together with the resulting settlement closer to the river mouth on the previously uninhabited island of N'Dar, over which the Brak of Waalo ruled. The trading center was fortified with a fort.

When the botanist Michel Adanson first sailed the Senegal River on his research trips in April 1749 , he described the island as a mere, sun-burned and barren sandbank that rises only slightly above the water level. Nevertheless, the island is inhabited by more than 3000 negroes, most of whom are in the service of the whites. Their huts covered over half of the island's floor. The name Saint Louis does not appear once in Adanson's travelogue. Rather, he always calls this place the island of Senegal and describes it as the headquarters of the trading company and the seat of the general director.

In the mid-19th century, Saint-Louis took on an urban character. It was the capital of Senegal from 1872 to 1957 and has played an important cultural and economic role throughout French West Africa .

description

The location of Saint-Louis on an island in the navigable Senegal estuary, its regular city map, the system of quays and the characteristic colonial architecture mark the special identity of Saint-Louis.

The historic old town of Saint-Louis gives an impression of the significant extent of the exchange of values ​​and influences on the development of education and culture, architecture, crafts and services in a large part of West Africa .

As the former capital of West Africa, the island of Saint-Louis is an excellent example of a colonial city, which is characterized by its special geographical location, and illustrates the development of the colonial government in this area.

Individual evidence

  1. UNESCO: Entry of the island in the world heritage list
  2. Plan du Fort St. Louis. Paris 1728
  3. Michael Adanson's message from his trip to Senegal and in the interior of the country. For a description of the island, see scan page 43ff
  4. ^ A Voyage to Senegal, the Isle of Goreé, and the River Gambia. By M. Adanson. London 1759 Description of the island in English see scan page 31ff
  5. Decision criteria of UNESCO

Web links

Commons : Île de Saint-Louis  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 16 ° 2 ′  N , 16 ° 30 ′  W