Island of Saint-Louis

Island of Saint-Louis
Photo by Luis Filipe Gaspar.

The Island of Saint-Louis holds a characteristic French colonial city and oceanic port.

Saint-Louis was the capital of the French colony of Senegal from 1673 until independence in 1960. It has preserved its colonial architecture with magnificent residences, along with its regular town plan. The site also includes the 19th-century Faidherbe Bridge.

Community Perspective: The overall impression of Saint-Louis isn’t a good one (rubbish everywhere, including in the water), but there are some fine buildings in the center.

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Jarek Pokrzywnicki

Polska - 09-Jan-20 -

Island of Saint-Louis by Jarek Pokrzywnicki

Site visited in April, 2018. Located some 300 km from Dakar to the north, close to Mauritanian border. From Dakar Gare Routiere there are mini buses (stand is located in the middle of bus station) but despite good asphalted road it took full day to reach Saint-Louis, including waiting time in Dakar (in most cases the cars leave when full, leaving hours are not specified). So when you start the journey in the morning it is possible to get to the place late in the afternoon or in the evening the same day.

While approaching Saint-Louis you will encounter huge garbage dump (some 10 km before the town). It is just for you to be prepared what you can expect in the town. And that is terrifying. Rubbish are everywhere, the streets are dirty but more appalling is what you see in the water and areas nearby (have in mind that this is an island). Of course not everywhere. Some streets in the center are more clean but overall first impression is somehow discouraging.

Historic centre of Saint-Louis is located on the island, within the estuary of Senegal river, linked with the land by Faidherbe Bridge (interesting landmark, metallic, from the end of XIX century). It has regular rectangle shape and adapted streets layout. Apart from the bridge other important places are former catholic church (closed), Grande Mosquée de Saint-Louis, Faidherbe square, post office, building of Office Du Tourisme-Syndicat D'initiative de Saint-Louis. If you forget the rubbish nice photos may be taken with boats around Quai Giraud. All places are accessible on foot within few hours and one day is pretty sufficient to see everything, another one is necessary if you plan to go to Djoudj.

Some practicalities: there are many hotels (different standard) on Saint-Louis Island. I stayed at Café Des Arts (in northern part of the island, Quai Giraud) but it is rather budget accommodation. There are a lot of restaurants (most of them are located in central part). For located nearby Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary try to organize a trip (there are several agencies in the town – most of them are located in the center; other option is to use Office Du Tourisme).

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Site Info

Full Name
Island of Saint-Louis
Unesco ID
956
Country
Senegal
Inscribed
2000
Type
Cultural
Criteria
2 4
Categories
Urban landscape - Colonial
Link
By ID

Site History

2000 Inscribed

Site Links

Unesco Website
Island of Saint-Louis
Official Website

Saint Louis du Senegal

Locations

The site has 1 locations

Island of Saint-Louis

Connections

The site has

Constructions
Notable Bridges: Pont Faidherbe
Hospitals: Civic Hospital built in 1822 (AB ev)
Damaged
Islands threatened by inundation: "In June 2008, Alioune Badiane of the United Nations' UN-Habitat agency designated Saint-Louis as "the city most threatened by rising sea levels in the whole of Africa", citing climate change and a failed 2004 river and tidal canal project as the cause" (Wiki)
Ecology
Lagoons: The entire settlement is situated in a magnificent lagoon formed by the two arms of the Senegal River (AB ev)
Geography
Atlantic Ocean: "only separated from the Atlantic Ocean to its west by the Langue de Barbarie, a 300 m (980 ft) wide sand spit." (wiki)
Sahel: "Part of the Sahel, a transitional desertic band that separates "[...] the dunes of the Sahara from the baobabs of the savanna",[7] Saint-Louis' landscape is characterized by occasional acacias and is disturbed by sand storms during the dry season" (wiki)
History
Located in a Former Capital: It has variously been capital of Senegal, Afrique Occidentale Fran?aise (AOF) and Mauritania when that entity was regarded as being separate from AOF.
British Military victories over France: Captured in 1758 during the Seven Year's War :- "The sudden arrival of British troops took the garrison completely by surprise. On 1 May they surrendered the fort, and the resident traders swore allegiance to the British. Not a single Briton had been killed in the taking of the settlement." Was kept by Britain under the 1763 Treaty of Paris but was lost again during the American War of Independence.
History of Aviation: 13 May 1930 – Jean Mermoz completed the first south transatlantic postal flight from Saint-Louis in Senegal to Natal, Brazil.
Human Activity
Slavery: "Gradually the settlement of Saint-Louis developed its commercial activities, trading rubber, leather, gold, ivory, and cereals as well as dealing in slaves" (AB ev)
Museum History: "The first museum of the industry, ethnography, and history of West Africa was opened in Saint-Louis on 15 March 1864." (AB ev)
Individual People
Louis XIV: Named after him
Religion and Belief
Cathedrals: Cathédrale Saint Louis, 1828 Neoclassical facade
Mosque: Great Mosque of the North, "constructed in 1847 by order of the colonial administration to appease the growing Muslim population."
Timeline
Built in the 19th Century: Founded in 1659 by French traders on an uninhabited island but remained little more than a fortified factory until the English departed in 1817 after a 16 year occupation, leaving it in ruins. A "plan d'urbanisation" was prepared in 1828 defining the regular street layout etc and in 1854 a new governor, Faidherbe, oversaw the completion of the ensemble with further large scale projects.
Trivia
Cultural sites taking up an entire island
Built or owned by French: Saint-Louis was the capital of the French colony of Senegal from 1673 until independence in 1960.
WHS Names
Named after individual people: "Saint Louis (French: Saint-Louis) is named after Louis IX, a canonized 13th-century king of France.[4] Obliquely, the name also honored Louis XIV, the reigning king of France at the time of the island's settlement in 1659." (wiki)
WHS on Other Lists
World Monuments Watch (past): Saint-Louis Island (2008)
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists: Ceebu Jën, a culinary art of Senegal (2021): "a dish that originated in the fishing communities on the Island of Saint-Louis in Senegal"

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