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Do you want to visit Conakry? .... Main city (1,6 million of inhabitants in 1996) and capital of Guinea, Conakry is situated to the west of the country, on the banks of the Atlantic ocean. When people ask me where I live, I answer " in Guinea ", and I always get the same remark,: " which of Guineas "?. For this reason the word "Conakry" represents both well a city and a capital. It is also an indispensable landmark. A keyword that allows you to know which Guinea we are speaking about. In history terms since the arrival of Portuguese on the African continent, "Guinea" served to nearly designate all the western coast, from Senegal to the river Congo. Of these exploration times, Africa inherited three homonymous territories therefore: Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and the equatorial Guinea, without forgetting the gulf of the same name, where only the last one bathes. Let's add to the list the Papua… New Guinea, far away between Indonesia and Australia, but that could add a certain confusion anyway… that's why one calls Guinea: Guinea - Conakry! The capital of Guinea is Conakry – on of the most unknown cities of African Continent. Conakry - the city begins at the kilometer 36. There is nothing there to show you that the city begins but, slowly, little things near the massif of the Kakoulima announce The Capital. Conakry comes like an iron of spear between mangroves of Dubreka, to the north, and those of Benty, to the south, before splitting itself in the streams of the Atlantic Ocean on more than 10 kilometers. It is also at the kilometer 36 that the National 1, unique access to the capital, conveys the roads of the north and the east of the country. Conakry - gate of Guinea, is a city with a site of enormous originality. The city is developed on a way of promontory that, like a wharf, advance in the Atlantic ocean toward the south-west; as to confirm the exactness of a choice made there more a century ago by its originator, Doctor Ballay: Conakry is first a harbor. Conakry as the rule model of a colonial city, Conakry as the ocean-city, Conakry, the capital that has no more than a hundred-years of Guinea… You are receiving an open invitation to walk its streets and boulevards and you have to know that Conakry was «endowed» of beautiful avenues boarded of splendid mango and coconut trees by the Secretary of the Governor Ballay – Monsieur Cousturier. Conakry is lying on the island of Tombo and is closely joined to the island of Kaloum by a dam. Long time ago the passing from the isthmus of Kaloum to the island of Tombo was done by a bridge. The isthmus has been filled from 1963 (construction of the People's Palace, then of the Garden of 2nd October). By slipping through between dwellings and markets, Conakry gives the impression to be above all urban. The journey seems long - to go in "downtown" is - contrary to all expectations- to be nearly all at the end of the island. To join it one "cruises" between different districts that gives to Conakry the picture of a village agglomeration. And is enough to move away a few score of meters to meet the hart of the deep Guinea or to watch baths and laundries, in the river. Today, the isthmus that nearly separated the Tombo Island from the island of the Kaloum is filled and the historic district of Conakry is joined to the firm earth since the 60's. It is on the Tombo Island that the first European factories have been installed, absolutely modifying the urban landscape. On a map dated 1889 the road net between villages limited itself to trails; six years later, one had drawn streets in the half of the island. As the colonial city was developing, these traditional communities disappeared to the profit of constructions of western fashion, often endowed of arcades and galleries closed by shutters. If you don't visit country deep inside, it is difficult to imagine, today, what was the previously look of villages of Boulbinet and Conakry - before the arrival of colonists. Yet, it always exists a traditional architecture, even though it doesn't have anything anymore to do with the original round or oblong slots, surrounded with large verandas. Mostly there are houses made of earth which some are hundred-year-old, belonging the township of Kaloum - Coronthie, that probably counts the biggest concentration of this habitat type in West Africa. Vestiges of the colonial architecture have, also, survived time's devastation. You discover them if you raise your eyes, over the crowd and cars, omnipresent. All over the city the Archdiocese, the embassies, the colleges, the train station, the customs site and other buildings display their old-fashioned paces. You are able to even make the theme of an interesting nostalgic itinerary. But no one, or nearly, don't seem to worry about this heritage. Corrugated iron took possession of places henceforth and constituted the quasi - totality of the urban environment of the capital. The road network hardly had right to more consideration: the asphalt, property nearly exclusive of cars and trucks stopped to the " centre " and the big axes. Elsewhere, pedestrians and drivers are sharing roads drawn in the earth or the naked rock in many other city sections… All the way, Conakry gives the impression of a city overcrowded. It is true that nearly all professions are exercised in full air, enter the multiple stalls and the innumerable barkers. You may assist there, for example, to the work of ironworkers, whose specialty seems to limit to doors of garages; of cabinetmakers, who spread out on the sidewalk their last white enamel or pink candy bedrooms. Don't forget the "doctors of the garment", or sellers who offer you bread, fruits, objects of recuperation, of repairers of all kinds… If you decide to take a taxicab, ask the driver to take you in the township of Kaloum. That is the location of Conakry's principals dawned of attraction. You should to start the discovery of the city with Boulbinet. If the set of the agglomeration of Conakry totals close to about twenty "fishing harbors" (more often reduced to simple banks where stranded dugouts are laying) the one of Boulbinet is one of most accessible. Nearly installed to the tip south of the island, it summaries all alone of the unchangeable gestures and activities repeated since centuries, in Guinea. It is a picture of a return to sources that can only fascinate the visitor, in spite of concrete amenities that start to be constructed there. The beacon, accessible to low tide, offers a beautiful view on surroundings. The visit of the old cemetery of Boulbinet (that is not more "functional" since 1946) is recommended to who wants to understand better the city. The cemetery, protected by its immense "fromagers", at a small distance from the agitation of the harbor of Boulbinet, is a place of contemplation, but also of history. In front of the small harbor the unexpected view of the Palace of Nations. Behind the building, the boulevard of the Trade and the avenue of the Republic, the two main commercial arteries of Conakry, delimit the popular district of Almamya, where one finds the old station and the Niger market, animate picture of a nervous daily life. From soap to the various objects, passing by fruits and vegetables, fishes, meat or poultry, one discovers everything that Guineas are eating and manufacturing in shops and small local manufacture, without forgetting possessions of import. To the floor a crowd of tailors cuts up, gather, crease and sew these magnificent multicolored materials that transform Guineas in real impressionist pictures. Again more popular and more teeming of world the Madina market is again as more prolific: quite anything can be bought or sold there. However, the Conakrikas themselves finds the place a little risky… Other option: of the Nation Palace a walk along the sea leads on the left toward a more luxurious district, to the shady avenues sheltering villas of the OUA. An all different facet of Conakry… At two steps of Boulbinet the small national Museum of the Sandervalia district deserves a visit as introduction to all traveler toward the inside of earth. You will find there, indeed, a "framework" on small size taking, by geographical zones, about the style of the different type of people of Guinea. Are represented thus through their habitats: the Peuls, Malinkés, Soussous, Bagas, Kissis, Tomas, etc.… Tattoo instruments and other utensils are also exposed, to start with an interesting collection of masks and instruments of music, of which every function and use is explained. You will learn there, for example, that the social events always cause the exit of this or that mask, protective or merely symbolic. That demonstrates the fact that in spite of the Islam and the passage of missionaries, the animism remained well vivacious. Guineans exercise with such devotion rituals of cults become official but the animism was often superimposing itself. Some masks are remarkable by the double identity that they present. From face or profile, they are gathering the human faces and the animal features, more accentuating the mystery … After these, while browsing the city, you will discover some places not to be missed. Some avenues changed, with the passing of the time, in real plant tunnels, so much trees that edge them bloomed. Other avenues are following the side of sea, as to Dixinn and Ratoma Ouest, two other townships of Conakry. In a lot of streets you will see shopkeepers who elected domicile in the recycled containers. A particularity that one sees nowhere but in Africa, and that denotes a big practicality! What besides strong, more insulated and, probably, more economic to put the grocery store to the shelter? And, why not, the bed? Conakry is the main administrative and commercial site of the country as well as an important "gate" of communications (head of line of the railroad of Kankan). It is a big harbor benefiting from excellent facilities. The international maritime trade is very active: export of bananas, iron ore (nearly island of Kaloum), of bauxite (islands of Los), coffee, citrus fruits, fishes. Its main industrial sectors are the agro-alimentary with textiles, metallurgy, plastics, wood. Conakry is also an interesting cultural site. The historic center of Conakry, particularly the west extremity of the Tombo Island, is remarkable by the diversity and the wealth of its architectural heritage. Different to other African capitals the renewal of the real estate domain was lower to Conakry that preserved many building whose construction was make at the creation of the city. Nothing of very prestigious, only few buildings of exception marked strongly, as the time has passed. And yet, an interesting architecture, full of common sense for whom is able to discover it. It is the history of the colonial city, but also, in part, the one of the contemporary Guinea, that is showed there, registered in walls and facades…
