The capital of Niger and its sights

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Probably, a person will not have enough life to visit all the interesting places on the planet, to admire its unique beauty. But it's worth trying, and today's goal is the capital of Niger, the stylish and modern city of Niamey, and other noteworthy settlements and objects.

Niger Republic

Before you visit the capital city of an African state, you should tell a little about him. The name of the country comes from the Niger River, which carries its waves through the territory of West Africa. In total, more than ten million people live in the republic. These are representatives of the peoples of the Hausa, Dzherma, Fula-ni, Tuareg, professing mostly Islam (80 percent) and paganism (14 percent).

The capital of Niger is Niamey, and its neighbors are Algeria and Libya, Chad and Nigeria, Benin and Mali, Burkina Faso. The country is led by a president and a national assembly. The country of Niger uses French as the official language.

The country is hot and dry, but rainfall is common here. Flora is veryscarce, sometimes absent altogether. But there are large animals here: buffaloes, wild boars, giraffes, lions, elephants, antelopes, warthogs. The best time to visit exotic Niger is from November to February.

The river that gave life

So, the Republic of Niger. Where is she, we have already figured out. Now I want to dwell on the river, which gave the country not only a name, but also life. This is the main water artery of the entire region, and the name is translated from the local dialect as “Great River”, “River of Rivers” or “Flowing Water”. Several large cities stand on its banks, including the capital of Niger. Like the Nile in Egypt, the river has a large fertile valley, great for agriculture. In the Niger Delta region, there is a unique attraction - a real oasis that arose on the site of a long-dried lake.

Replenished along the way by the waters of the tributary, the mighty river flows into the Gulf of Guinea, which belongs to the Atlantic Ocean. Vessels ply along it, from the sides of which you can admire the unique beauty of the Black Continent and one of its most important rivers.

Delicious Niamey

Before us is the capital of Niger, the glorious city of Niamey. This is the largest settlement in the country, located in a picturesque place. Founded at the end of the nineteenth century, it has been actively developing in recent times. The name can be translated as "a place near a tree where they draw water." It was here that government bodies and the headquarters of various international corporations were concentrated. In addition, the city has many attractions thata must see.

Since Islam reigns in the Republic of Niger, we begin our inspection of interesting places with Muslim shrines. And the main one is the Great Mosque (built around the seventies of the twentieth century). There are 171 steps leading to the minaret, and a breathtaking panorama opens from it. In the colorful Big New Market, an obelisk has been erected to those who died during the years of both world wars. The National Museum has a grandiose collection of artifacts - art and household items, national costumes, handicrafts, and even dinosaur bones and the last tree of the Sahara desert. Niamey has several parks of rare beauty and a zoological garden. And the main sporting events are held at the stadium. General Seini Kunche.

Other sights of the Republic of Niger

The Tenere Desert, bounded by the Hoggar and Air mountains, the waters of Lake Chad and the Tibetsi highlands, covers an area of over four hundred thousand square kilometers. In ancient times, it was the bottom of a large reservoir (Lake Chad is its remains), then - a tropical forest. Today it is a deserted and waterless place, covered with wind-blown dunes.

The city of Zinder, the former capital of the colonial Niger and the Damagaram Sultanate, is a border settlement famous for its unusual architecture, an abundance of mosques, and developed infrastructure. Here is a very interesting quarter of Birni, in which there are square-shaped houses covered with original paintings. In the luxurious palace of the Sultan, the descendants of the formidable ruler still live today, but onlife in the city they do not affect.

The Air Mountains in the south of the Sahara are low, but very picturesque, of volcanic origin. The sharp black rocks were home to the nomadic Tuareg. The poor land could still feed livestock, and was even suitable for growing some crops. Hidden in the depths of the peaks is the hot mineral spring Tafadek.

The city of Dogonduchi is the capital of trade, and in Agadez you can see the ancient fort and the old quarters, the mosque. In Doso, the citadel and the royal castle are perfectly preserved. The oasis of Timia captivates with lush orchards located at the foot of the mountains. The city of Iferuan is famous for its high level of development of agriculture (due to the proximity of groundwater), crafts, jewelry and leather arts.