Culture of Ouagadougou. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The city of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is the most interesting destination in the country from an excursion point of view. It is possible to explore the city’s central part just within a few hours. During such an excursion, vacationers will see beautiful shady boulevards and incredibly beautiful architectural masterpieces that belong to different epochs. There is the National Museum in the city that exhibits a large collection of artisan items and archaeological findings. Beautiful masks, clay tableware, and old jewelry that belong to different ethnic groups simply strike visitors with their beauty and diversity.

The capital is not deprived of architectural landmarks as Ouagadougou is home to the largest cathedral in West Africa. Tourists will find the Moro Naba Palace and the market nearby. The latter is an interesting destination not only for fans of shopping but also connoisseurs of architectural landmarks.

Fans of staying outdoors will genuinely enjoy a visit to Bobo-Dioulasso. This small town is famous for its gorgeous boulevards and parks. While walking on shady avenues, tourists will pass several charming markets. The town is not deprived of cultural landmarks, and the Provincial Museum is one of them. It is a great place to find out more about the culture and traditions of the bobo ethic group. The museum often hosts modern art exhibitions that detect new talents and display works of many famous artisans and sculptors. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

It is also important to mention the Grand Mosque, a beautiful building in the Sudanese style. The mosque looks outstanding not only on the outside. Its inner design is even more striking. Clay was the main building material of the mosque – only experienced architects can work with this fragile material. Don’t forget to visit Kibidvi quarter that is home to numerous artisan workshops. Curious tourists always include the quarter in their excursion planners.

Continue your acquaintance with the natural and cultural landmarks of Burkina Faso in another provincial town, Banfora. The most famous natural landmark of the country, the Karfiguéla Waterfalls, is located not far from the town. The waterfalls are particularly interesting to visit during the rainy season as they become incredibly large and powerful during this time of the year. Only a short distance separates the waterfalls from Tegreakute Lake. For a symbolic fee, local fishermen will offer to make a boat ride or go fishing with them.

Fans of unhurried and peaceful relaxation will simply admire Gorom-Gorom. This small town is famous primarily because of its colorful market. It is possible to see artworks by different ethnic groups at the market. Gorom-Gorom is surrounded by the endless desert, so it is a town with a special relaxed atmosphere of calmness and harmony. Life is always unhurried and deliberate there.

When it comes to museums in Ouagadougou, the most famous ones are the National Museum mentioned above and Musee de la Musique. Tourists are recommended to visit both the venues. It doesn’t matter whether you like music or no, Musee de la Musique is an incredibly interesting place that everyone will enjoy visiting. The collection is dedicated not only to local music but to Burkinabe culture in general. Even the building of the museum looks very authentic and unique – it is a traditional adobe that creates a truly special atmosphere. If you happen to visit Bobo-Dioulasso, don’t forget to visit Musée Communal Sogossira Sanon. This is quite a small museum that, however, showcases many interesting items. A collection of ceremonial dresses from all parts of Burkina Faso deserves a separate mention. Masks and statues, models of traditional houses and household items – this museum provides a thorough outlook on the life of indigenous people.

The Village Artisanal de Ouagadougou is a great place to get acquainted with the local color. This is an original place where you can buy souvenirs of any kind; what is more, everything is handmade. The building “village” is truly impressive – it immediately becomes clear that this place is worth a look. The Laongo Sculpture Symposium is a wonderful place – you can examine the compositions here for a very long time. They are located near the capital of Burkina Faso. Here you can have a look at the sculptures of a tortoise, mermaids, and women’s heads. However, among the compositions, there are some that you cannot make out immediately what they are, and you can only guess and argue about what it is. This is another colorful place in the country.

In order to feel yourself as if you were in an African fairy tale, it is worth visiting the Reserve de Nazinga; this is a real safari. Elephants have become a peculiar decoration with which you can take pictures. Antelopes, monkeys, warthogs, and small crocodiles also live here – as you can see, the animal world is truly unique. Where else can one feel this unique atmosphere of touching the wild nature? Perhaps there are few such places in the world and this is one of them, so you should not miss the chance to visit it at all. Another interesting park to visit is called Parc Urbain Bängr-Weoogo. The views here are rather impressive, and nature amazes from the very first sight.

Also there are several interesting museums in the city that must be visited. Attention-grabbing exhibits can be seen in the Manega Bendrologie Museum, where the objects of everyday life of locals are put on display. You can learn here a lot of different interesting information about the tribes that inhabited the country, as well as about the local color, history of the region and traditional folk art. Of particular interest is the reconstruction of the habitats of the locals’ ancestors – this is how you can feel that getting to know the local culture is going on successfully.

It should be noted that you can learn that the capital of Burkina Faso is worth a visit by already leaving the railway station Sitarail. The building is interesting from an architectural point of view and strikes immediately. The Église de Dapoya, a church famous for its height and enormousness, is also so – it strikes from the very first minutes, is very beautiful, and its interior decoration is also worthy of any praise. Another place that should be visited while in Ouagadougou is the Parc Animalier. Here you can watch lions, ostriches, elephants, monkeys, hippos – in general, all the animals that are associated with the African savannah.