Bobo-Dioulasso Things to Do

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Taking a look around the old town in the Kibidoue district is interesting and worthwhile. You might as well hire a guide, as you will be asked nonstop until you've hired one. Here you will see a neighborhood of traditional dwellings in a winding maze of narrow alleys. Scattered about are sites where animal scarifices take place, as evidence by the bloody mess left behind. I was shown the local brewery, where the beer is boiled in a big vat inside a firey stone oven. Of course your guide will delight in showing you the local goods for sale, items such as jewelry, pottery, metalware etc. Thankfully it's pretty low pressure...so relax! You can't leave without having a good look at the old mosque, even though you won't be allowed inside.

From Bobo it's easy to catch a bus for Banfora in the morning and then return in the early evening. Banfora has a number of must see attractions, including the town itself, Karfiguela Falls, and Lake Tengrela, where hippos can be observed.

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This old part of town should be an embarassment for the government due to it's terribly poor sanitation, but it is the historical center. Here drinking water, laundry, and garbage are all within a few feet of the other. When the Bobo tribes established the city as a neutral ground for trade and this neighborhood was formed before the French arrived in 1897. The Main mosque is just outside this part of town, so this area may actually pre-date the mosque. There's a "main street" and then by way of a winding path of stairs, a side street descends to a modest creek, perhaps what's left of the river after being tapped for fresh water further upstream.

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Because of it's central location at the cross roads of numerous tribes, Bobo Dioulasso's Grand Marche has a great selection of tribal arts not only from Burkina Faso, but from all across West Africa. In the streets outside the market are also a number of such tribal art vendors. Within the market, one can browse the frabrics, motor parts, cooking utensils, electronics, and produce...

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It's important to understand that West Africa is the front-line between Islam and Christianity. Ghana, to the south is mostly Christian, while Burkina Faso is mostly Muslim. But, these missionary efforts are relatively recent in Burkina Faso, which coverted in earnest to Islam sometime during the 18th century. Therefore, the great mosque, like the larger one in Djenne is only about a century old, symbolizing a peak in this established religious faith. Burkina Faso, like elsewhere in West Africa, clings to tribal beliefs, mixing them in with their Muslim or Christian learned faiths. Not surprisingly, the harmony between religious groups is quite good, and the Muslim here share no sympathy with radical Arab causes. Afterall, the NGOs from Europe and America are ultimately more giving than the deep pocketed Arab shieks. Unfortunately for this mosque, the recent restoration work is portland cement plaster over mud--a method that looks ugly and will mean greater restoration efforts further in the future. This method of restoration also suggests a certain lack of maintainence in general, because the wooden sticks or scaffolding are traditionally used for an annual layer of mud plaster.

Built in 1893, the Grande Mosquee is a nice example of mud mosques located in the Sahel region. When I was here you were allowed to go in but only at certain hours and I missed those hours. It is probaly one of the more important buildings in town and probaly one of the more important mosques in the region.

The oldest part of town. Some local guide took me around and showed me some of the sites. Saw a lot traditonal life here, walked across the river (more of a stream to a trickle when I was there) which I heard was a bit more of a dangerous area for muggings but saw nothing of the such. If you have a spare hour or so I recommend that you see this region of Bobo-Dioulaso.

Is a place where lots of people go to play percussion and African traditional instruments. There you can drink the mijo beer. Enjoy yourself and let yourself be free with the rhythm.

Es un lugar donde mucha gente va a tocar percusión e instrumentos tradicionales africanos. Aquí también podrás degustar la tradicional cerveza de mijo. Disfruta y dejate llevar por el ritmo de la música.