Ouagadougou, the bustling capital of Burkina Faso, is full of architectural and cultural treasures that tell the vibrant history of this West African nation. Among its bustling streets and warm atmosphere, the city is home to a fascinating collection of monuments that bear witness to the region's rich heritage. Whether you are a history lover, a culture enthusiast, or simply a traveler eager for discovery, these 10 emblematic monuments of Ouagadougou are sure to capture your imagination. Prepare for a captivating journey through this African metropolis, where each monument tells a unique story and offers invaluable insight into the cultural diversity of Burkina Faso.
Thomas Sankara Memorial: Thomas Sankara Memorial is a project carried out by a group of actors made up of filmmakers, artists, journalists, and companions of the struggle of the August 1983 revolution. The Thomas Sankara Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the Burkinabe president Thomas Sankara, an emblematic figure, considered the father of the revolution. The memorial is located in Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso. It is built on the site of the Conseil de l'Entente where the assassination of Sankara took place. The memorial was built in 2019 and officially opened in 2020. In February 2023, Thomas Sankara and the 12 other people murdered in October 1987 were buried behind the memorial statue.
Place de la Révolution: Located in the center of the city of Ouagadougou is a public square with an area of 2.8 hectares. It is located between the headquarters of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in the South, Camp Guillaume Ouédraogo in the North, the Non-Commissioned Officers' Mess in the West, and the National Social Security Fund as well as the Faso Mediator in the East. Before the colonial era, the current Place de la Nation served as a large market for the inhabitants of the city of Ouagadougou. But with the arrival of Westerners, this will experience a change because the market will be moved and will take the name of Place d'Arboussier who was a former French governor. It will now be used to organize the French Independence Day (every July 14 for years). In 1966, to demand the departure of Maurice Yameogo from power, the Burkinabe population met in this place. So in memory of the popular uprising of January 3, the Place d'Arboussier will take the name of the Place du 3 January. With the advent of the Revolution of August 4, 1983, it was called Place de la Révolution for a certain time. To pay tribute to the heroes who shed their blood for the motherland. With the end of the Revolution, this Place de la Revolution will finally be renamed Place de la Nation and will keep this name until today.
The African Filmmakers Monument: Built-in 1987 in honor of African filmmakers who come to FESPACO, the pan-African festival of cinema and Ouagadougou television. Located in the heart of the Burkinabe capital, sits majestically in front of the town hall. This picturesque architectural work is the fruit of the imagination and design of architect Ali FAO and urban planner Ignace SAWADOGO. Due to its singular originality, the work symbolizes the working instruments of filmmakers, namely: camera lenses, film reels, zoom lenses, and telephoto lenses.
The National Heroes Monument: National Heroes Monument, located in Ouaga 2000 on the road to the Kosyam presidential palace. This monument is 55 m high and weighs nearly 8000 tonnes (3000 m3 of concrete, 300 tonnes of steel). Built under the mandate of Blaise Compaoré, the monument only became the scene of commemorative practices after the fall of the latter, occasioned by the popular insurrection of October 2014. As part of the commemoration of this insurrection, the transitional government completed the monument with a stele, dedicated to the victims of the popular uprising of 2014 and the failed putsch of 2015, which elevated the rebels to the rank of national heroes and transformed the monument into a memorial.
The Yennenga monument: The monument to Princess Yennenga is located at the corner of Yennenga Avenues and May 17 Resistance Avenues in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso. It was built in 1984 and renovated in 1996. According to the legend, Yennenga, or Poko of her real name, is the founder of the Moago kingdom in Burkina Faso. Yennenga is a mythological princess from the kingdom of Dagomba, daughter of Naaba Nedega and Queen Napoko. A rider with unprecedented dexterity in handling weapons, she helped her father against attacks from surrounding kingdoms for the protection of his own. Wielding weapons more than men, she ended up defying the prohibitions, which pushed her to run away from the family. In this adventure, she met Rialé, a hunter of princely blood, and from their union, a boy was born to whom they gave the name “ Ouédraogo ” which means “Stallion.” in honor of the white horse that led Yennenga to Rialé.
The Women's Monument: Located at Naba Koom Square, opposite the train station; The Women's Monument is 6 meters high. It represents a woman carrying welcome water to foreigners arriving in Ouagadougou by train. The square was built in honor of Naba Koom, under whose reign the Ivory Coast-Ouagadougou railway was built in (1986). He embodies the memory of the great-grandfather of the current Mogho Naaba, a non-emperor who had the idea “that water should be abundant for all.”
Martyrs' Monument: The Martyrs' Monument is located in Sector 22 in the Sig-Noghin district on National Road 22. You can see a broken gourd, a dove, two hands in prayer, and a flaming star. The dove calls out to us with this phrase “Never again!” We also see traces of mending on the cracks of the calabash. This monument reminds us that any reparation always leaves indelible traces, just as forgiveness does not erase pain.
The Human Rights Monument: in the Bogodogo district, this monument is a call to all, on the duty of unity and union, in the face of numerous challenges in a spirit of solidarity, humility, and forgiveness. Indeed, the human rights monument includes statuettes, presenting two men and two women, coming from the four horizons of Burkina Faso. These four people are prostrate and look each other in the face while holding their arms in the shape of a circle.
The Monument of the Battle of the Rail: Officially the work bears the name of the Monument of the Battle of the Rail, but the inhabitants of Bilbaologo have named it 'Kon menem Moogo' that is to say 'which will not disappear from the world'. It symbolizes the desire to open up the Sahel region, through the extension of the railway line towards Kaya, then Tambao. Despite the economic advantages that this represented, the financial partners at the time refused to finance the project. But the military regime convinced that only the people are the real actors in its development, embarked on the adventure with its own means. On February 1, 1985, Captain Thomas Sankara, leader of the revolution, launched the project under the name 'The Battle of the Rail'.
The Architect's Place: The Architect's Place was inaugurated on February 3, 2021, in Ouagadougou, as part of the 5th edition of the Architect's Week. This building is located at the intersection of Manegm Noore Street and Wemtenga Street. The construction was born following a partnership agreement between the town hall of the commune of Ouagadougou and the Order of Architects of Burkina. Agreement which was signed on January 11, 2019. According to Fabien Ouédraogo, former president of the Order of Architects of Burkina Faso, the representation of the “Architect’s Place” is the fruit of the reflection of architecture students. He made it clear that the work symbolizes the multiplicity of facets of the building and construction field, as well as the synergy of action of the different actors in these fields. If the symbol that stands in the center of the square was not painted, it is because “the architectural work, in essence, is a work of improvement”, according to the president of the Order of Architects.
Sources:
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