Historical Museum of Senegal in Gorée

In 1856, the Fort of Estrées was built on Gorée Island off the coast of Dakar.[2] In this fort is located the historical museum of Senegal, this museum contains various artifacts dating from the stone age on the history of the country.[3]

The museum contains various archaeological collections as well as documents on the history and religion of Senegal.[4] In 1977, the process of renovating some of the museum's rooms began. On March 3, 1989, the renovations were completed and the museum was inaugurated. According to Abdouyale Ly, the first director of the museum, the objective with the opening of this museum is to promote the West African culture.[5]

Collection of skulls

The museum is divided into 13 rooms,[5] each of these rooms deals with a certain period in the history of Senegal, including a room for the Paleolithic period, the Neolithic period, colonization and independence, the museum also has collections about the different ethnic groups of the country.[6] The museum contains exhibits of diverse archeological remains as well as megalithic art.[7]

• Room 1: Cartography of Gorée Island

• Room 2: Paleolithic Period
• Room 3: Neolithic Period
• Room 4: Marine animals of the Senegal Coast
• Room 5: Hydrography of the Senegal River
• Room 6: Megaliths
• Room 7: Kingdoms and Empires
• Room 8: Black Trade
• Room 9: Resistance
• Room 10: European Colonization
• Room 11: Islam (This room was rehabilitated with the help of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2003)
• Room 12: Independence Period
• Room 13: Cannon Hall, handicrafts and fabrics