Dafra

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Dafra is one of three arrondissements of Bobo-Dioulasso , the second largest city in the West African state of Burkina Faso , and is located about eight kilometers southeast of the city center.

The other two arrondissements are Konsa and Dô . All three districts are divided into 25 sectors. Sectors 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24 and 25. Dafra is home to the Lycée Ouezzin Coulibaly , the seat of the regional governor and the prefecture. Sidi Sanogo is the mayor and the council has 36 members.

The nationally known shrine in Dafra is a pilgrimage destination that is revered in African folk beliefs by Muslims and Christians alike. This includes a pond in which sacred catfish swim. These are considered to be the guardian spirits of Bobo Dioulasso; they are supposed to cure diseases, help with infertility and ensure business success. The pond is the source of the Houet River. The fish, up to a meter long, are called Dafra , the name of the place is derived from it.

Animals are revered in other cultures in Africa. Is known the worship of aardvarks or the cult of pangolins (Pangolin) at the Lele in the Democratic Republic of Congo . In the Islamic popular belief in Africa, fish are occasionally worshiped or, as in the Moroccan Lalla Takerkoust, turtles.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Timothy Insoll: Water and the Construction of Social and Religious Identities in West Africa. An Archaeological Perspective. In: Terje Oestigaard (Ed.): Water, Culture and Identity: Comparing Past and Present Traditions in the Nile Basin Region. (PDF file; 4.58 MB) Nile Basin Research Program. Bric Press, University of Bergen, Bergen 2009, pp. 198-200