Bassari (people)
The Bassari are a small African people living in the southeast of the West African state of Senegal . Their residential areas south of the Niokolo-Koba National Park are also known as the Bassari Mountains or Bassari Land . Partly members of the people, which are one of the oldest in Senegal, also live in northern Guinea and Guinea-Bissau .
The number of relatives, who are mainly arable farmers, is between 10,000 and 30,000 (according to another source only 2,500). They have their own language that belongs to the Tenda language family. During the wars of religion, the Bassari withdrew to the hilly Bassari country, the foothills of the Fouta Djallon massif, and thus preserved their originality.
Their way of life is shaped by traditional religion . This is one of the reasons why other peoples in Senegal tend to be condescending to them and view the Bassari as backward savages. Its 30 or so villages are mostly located high up on hills from which they could be better defended in earlier times. Their traditional thatched huts and colorful festive clothing are popular motifs for postcards and illustrated books.
With the entry "Bassari County: Bassari, Bedik and Fula Cultural Landscapes", a cultural landscape traditionally inhabited by the Bassari was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage in 2012.
literature
- Michel Renaudeau: Gambia and Senegal APA Publ., Munich 1997, ISBN 3-8268-1392-8
- Anne Wodtcke: Senegal, Gambia Ed. Erde im BW-Verlag, Nuremberg 1993, ISBN 3-8214-6530-1
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Distribution area in Senegal: see reference number 24 on the map
- ↑ Distribution area in Guinea: see reference number 6 on the map
- ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Bassari Country: Bassari, Fula and Bedik Cultural Landscapes. Accessed August 21, 2017 .