Bamako is the capital of Mali, located on the Niger river. With a population of around 1.7 million, it's the largest city in the country and one of the largest in Africa. Bamako has been continously inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. In 1883 it was conquered by French troops, and in 1908 became the capital of French Sudan.
The city has only a few paved main roads (goudrons), the rest of the city's roads are
unpaved, and get dusty during the dry season (November to May) and muddy during the
rainy season, offering breeding grounds to malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The roads are
filled with donkeys, goats, sheep and chickens.
Bamako is by the Niger River. This creates issues in that there are tributaries which affect development in the city and the city is on a flood plain, so much of the land bordering the river can not be used for construction. Bamako is relatively flat, except to the immediate north where there is an escarpment, being what remains of an extinct volcano. The Presidential Palace and main hospital are located here.
The traditional commercial centre of Bamako is to the north of the river, and contained
within a triangle bounded by Avenue du Fleuve, Rue Baba Diarra and Boulevard du
Peuple. This area contains the Marché Rose and Street Market. The downtown area is
highly congested, polluted, and expensive, and urbanization is sprawling at a rapid pace
within a radius of 30 km. The largest urbanized area now lies on the southern bank of the
Niger River. A modern Central Business District is rapidly developing immediately west of
the downtown area in the ACI-2000 district, taking advantage of a well-designed
geometric layout, legacy of the old airport runways and taxiways. A large Administrative
City is being developed at the junction between ACI-2000 and the King Fadh Bridge,
purportedly to host most state departments (ministries) and administrative services in a
central location.
PLACE TO VISIT
National Library of Mali - is a public library located in Bamako, Mali. The National Library was first created by the Institut français d’Afrique noire, an arm of the French colonial government, in 1944. Following Mali's 1960 independence, this library became the Government Library; it would later be renamed again as the National Library of Mali. In 1968 the library was transferred from its initial home in Koulouba to Ouolofobougou, a section of Bamako.
BCEAO Tower - is the tallest building in Mali, comprising 20 storeys, and is the colour of the soil in the surrounding area and as such resembles a termite hill from a distance with distinctive bat-like ears on the top. It is the Malian HQ of BCEAO Bank, which covers all West African francophone countries.
Bamako Grand Mosque - is a mosque in Bamako, Mali.
National Museum of Mali - is an archeological and anthropological museum located in Bamako, the capital of Mali. It presents permanent and temporary exhibits on the prehistory of Mali, as well as the musical instruments, dress, and ritual objects associated with Mali's various ethnic groups.
African Photography Encounters - is a biennial exhibition in Bamako, Mali since 1994. The exhibition, featuring exhibits by contemporary African photographers, is spread over several Bamako cultural centers, including the National Museum, the National Library, the Modibo Keïta memorial, and the District Museum. The exhibition also features colloquia and film showings.
Bamako Zoo - Towards the presidents palace. would not recommend. Animals in poor cond
Point G Hill - Houses caves with rock paintings, and offers good views across the city
HOW TO REACH
Bamako-Sénou Airport is roughly 15km from the city center, with flights from Paris on Point Afrique (cheap) and Air France (less cheap).
Railways run to Dakar and Koulikoro.
