Discover the holy city of Touba in Senegal
Just 194 km east of Dakar lies the magnificent town of Touba. It is the capital of the Mouride Muslim brotherhood, in the department of Mbacke.
In 1888, the spiritual leader Cheick Ahmadou Bamba Khadimou Rassoul founded the holy city of Touba in the Mbaffar forest. Today, it is one of Senegal’s largest cities, after the capital Dakar, in terms of population and economic activity. It is considered a holy city.
During the colonial era, Sheikh Bamba resisted Western missionaries so that the Senegalese would not lose their link with Islam. He was forcibly exiled for 7 years to Gabon by the French, where he lived alone in a forest. On his return, he was awarded the Legion of Honor.
Celebrating Magal
This exile gave rise to the Magal celebrations. Millions of Mourides come to the city on the 18th of the month of Sefer in the Islamic calendar for this memorable festival. It’s a religious, spiritual and political act. They drink the famous Touba coffee, Senegal’s national drink, made from black pepper and flavored with fruit. During the festival, they pray and sing texts and writings in honor of the great Cheick.
What to do in this magnificent city
Discover Touba’s magnificent mosque around the town. It’s an incredible treasure. It’s the largest mosque in West Africa. Over 80 m high, it was inaugurated on June 7, 1963. Every day, the Koran is repeated 28 times.
The mosque also houses the tomb of its founder. Many pilgrims visit Ahmadou Bamba’s mausoleum every year.
What do you think? Have you had the chance to visit this incredible city?
