Diakhao Ecological Museum

Historical museum located in the Fatick Region, Senegal, dedicated to show the evolution of the civilization around Diakhao, as well as the development of the monarchies and to preserve ethnographic material of the Serer community.

Diakhao Ecological Museum
Photo by PRODETOUR
Type:	Historical Museum
Country:	Senegal
Establishment:	2014

The Diakhao Ecological Museum (French: Écomusée de Diakhao) is a historical museum located in the Fatick Region, Senegal, dedicated to show the evolution of the civilization around Diakhao, as well as the development of the monarchies and to preserve ethnographic material of the Serer community.

History

The museum is located in Keur Thioupane, the history of the place dates back to 1287, after the organization of Diakhao under the Faye Monarchy, which established that the place would be destined as the residence of the Lingères, also known as Lingeer, a title given to queens and princesses in kingdoms settled in Senegambia.^[1]

In May 1991, the idea was proposed to create a museum dedicated to exhibiting and documenting information about the Serer culture and how it had influenced the establishment of civilization in Africa, specifically for the preservation of the Sine Ngayène megalithic, an archaeological site currently located in the Kaolack Region and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[2]

The museum officially opened in 2014 with the help of the Departmental Council of Fatick as well as foreign support from regional representatives of Poitou-Charentes, then in 2017, a new room was inaugurated to preserve the material heritage of the Sine Kingdom.^[3]

The museum was designed on the basis of traditional Fatick architecture, in addition to serving the function of identifying and cataloguing various royal tombs around Diakhao.^[4]

Collections

The museum has exhibits on the ceremonies and festivities of the Serer,^[5] such as the Xooy, one of the community's most important events, held between May and June before the rainy season, where Saltigues, the traditional priests of the Serer, answer questions about curing diseases and developing local agriculture, accompanied by drum music and the recitation of proverbs,^{[Note 1]"Xooy, a divination ceremony among the Serer of Senegal" - Official document registered at UNESCO} in addition to the Ndut initiation rite, which is practised at the time of initiation into adulthood.^{[Note 2]"Senegal: History, Culture, and Geography of Music 1925" - (Page 1925) The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture by Janet Sturman}

Gallery

Several traditional drums. (2015) - Photo by Ibrahima Diaw

Accessories used by the Saltigué, spiritual leaders of the Serer communities. (2014) - Photo by PRODETOUR

Various spoons and bowls handcrafted in Fatick. (2015) - Photo by Ibrahima Diaw

Notes

1. "Xooy, a divination ceremony among the Serer of Senegal" - Official document registered at UNESCO

2. "Senegal: History, Culture, and Geography of Music" - (Page 1925) The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture by Janet Sturman

References

1. L’écomusée de Diakhao: Valoriser le patrimoine de la région de Fatick. (2014). Au Sénégal. (in French)

2. Sabran, M. de. (1999). La “Maison du pays”: L’exposition du patrimoine dans les musées privés d’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Cameroun (“Maison du pays”: Exhibitions in Private Museums in Western Africa and Cameroon). Cahiers d’Études Africaines, 39(155/156), 885–903. (Page 890) (in French)

3. Diédhiou, O. B. (2023). La culture au service du tourisme: Étude des potentialités touristiques et enjeux de développement territorial dans la commune de Diakhao. (in French)

4. Fatick: Un écomusée revisite le patrimoine du royaume du Sine. (2014). aDakar.Com / Agence de Presse Sénégalaise. (in French)

5. Thioune, A. (2019). Service Régional de la Statistique et de la Démographie de Fatick. Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie du Sénégal. (in French)