Museum of Black Civilisations
Museum celebrating the cultures and contributions of Africa and its diaspora.
The Museum of Black Civilisations (Musée des Civilisations noires) opened in Dakar on 6 December 2018. It realises an idea put forward by Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal's first president, following the World Festival of Negro Arts held in Dakar in 1966. The project was revived in 2009, its foundation stone was laid in December 2011, and the building was constructed between 2013 and 2015 with funding from China.
The circular building near the railway station in Dakar-Plateau draws on the form of traditional impluvium houses of the Casamance region. Spread over four levels and about 13,800 square metres, it contains exhibition halls, a 150-seat auditorium, conference rooms and collection stores. The museum's mission is to present the contribution of Africa and its diasporas to the world's cultural and scientific heritage.
The collections number around 18,000 objects combining historical and contemporary works from across Africa and the diaspora, including a Dogon hunter's costume and sculptures by the Haitian artist Édouard Duval-Carrié. Displays range from human origins and early African societies to religions, textiles and modern art. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and events, and has served as a venue for the Dakar Biennale of contemporary African art.
Highlights
- Circular building inspired by Casamance impluvium houses
- Galleries tracing Africa's role in human origins and early societies
- Collections of around 18,000 historical and contemporary objects
- Retrospective of the sculptor Ousmane Sow, on show from April 2026
- Venue for the Dakar Biennale of contemporary African art
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