AFRICAN RENAISSANCE MONUMENT
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The Monument de la Renaissance africaine impresses with its gigantic size. Already, from the Plateau, you can see this 52-metre-high colossus, built on one of the two volcanic hills of Les Mamelles, embracing his wife and carrying his child with one arm. Symbolizing a forward-looking Africa, this monument is a source of controversy, both because of its figurative aspect, which displeases conservative Muslims, and because it is a rather megalomaniac project of ex-president Abdoulaye Wade, who under the symbol of a continent created a monument with an ultra-luxurious presidential lounge, estimated to have cost nearly 15 billion FCFA. What's more, it was built by a North Korean firm specializing in concrete rather than art, and was inaugurated in the presence of several African leaders in 2010, in the midst of the economic crisis, to mark the 50th anniversary of Senegal's independence. For the rest, you have to climb 198 steps to reach the esplanade before taking an elevator to the 15th floor and admiring a breathtaking view of the city and the ocean. You shouldn't expect any artistic prowess from the monument itself, though, as it's very expensive and you're only paying for the view. You'll come out without having seen much of interest, apart from an explanatory frieze tracing African history, a video of the monument's construction, and the few rooms dedicated to contemporary African art.
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