Island of Saint-Louis
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How it came to be
In 1659 the French moved their fort near the mouth of the Senegal River to the island the local people called Ndar.
From the fort the trading post controlled commerce along the Senegal River, shipping out slaves, gold, hides, beeswax and, later, gum arabic. In the 17th and 18th centuries a Franco-African Métis merchant community grew up, known for its women entrepreneurs, the signares. Louis Faidherbe, governor from 1854, built bridges, a fresh water supply and a telegraph line to Dakar, and Saint-Louis was the capital of Senegal from 1872 to 1957.
Its island site at the river mouth, regular town plan, quays and colonial architecture give the town its character. It was also capital of French West Africa from 1895 until the role passed to Dakar in 1902, and after independence many of its shops and offices closed. The island was inscribed in 2000.
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