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Saint-Louis: Religious Pluralism in the Heart of Senegal
by David Robinson with assistance from Ghislaine Lydon, Kalala Ngalamulume and others
Images
19th Century Commercial Houses and Warehouses
Date: 198719th century commercial houses and warehouses on the main branch of the river (Grand Bras).
19th Century Mosque
Date: 198719th century mosque in the North (Nord) quarter of the island, built in the 1840s after considerable pressure from the Muslim community.
Al-Hajj Malik Sy
Date: 1912This picture was taken by a colonial government photographer about 1912 in Tivaouane,the headquarters of the well-known Tijaniyya Sufi leader Malik Sy, and then published in Paul Marty, "Etudes sur l'Islam au Senegal," vol 1 (1917).
Bu El Moghdad
Date: 1861The Seck family was one of two leading Saint-Louis families who combined distinction in Islam, close ties with Mauritanian clerical families, and close affiliation with the French presence; they combined these three relationships without any apparent problem, and were a great boon to the colonial enterprise. Their home in the town often served as a reception area for distinguished Moors who were visiting Saint-Louis.
The first distinguished member of the family was Bu-El-Mogdad (1826-80), also called Dudu Seck. He became the chief translator of Arabic Correspondence for the French and, more briefly, the Qadi of the Muslim Tribunal of the town. He is shown here in a formal robe with his French medals pinned conspircuously on this chest; this was a posed shot, taken in about 1860, at the same time that he accomplished the pilgrimage to Mecca with French support - a journey that he accomplished with the expressed purpose of creating a rival pilgrimage to the conspicuous one of Al-hajj Umar.
A second distinguished member of the family was his son, also called Bu-El-Mogdad (I usually call him Bu-El-Mogdad II) and Dudu Seck. He had the same schooling, mainly in southern Mauritania, and the skills in speaking Hassaniyya, the Arabic dialect of Mauritania. His main service to the French cause came in the 1890s and early 1900s as the Europeans sought to create a colony in Mauritania.
Canoe Team
Date: 1987Canoe team in uniform preparing for canoe races on the small branch (Petit Bras) of the river. The canoe teams were primarily located in the fishermen's quarter of Guet Ndar. The local word for canoe is "pirogue."
Catholic Cemetery
Date: 1987The Catholic community established a second cemetery at Sor, on the mainland east of the main river branch, in the early 20th century, after the cemetery on the island was full.
Catholic Church, from rear
Date: 1994This is a rear view of the Catholic Church, opposite the Governor's Palace and in the South (Sud) quarter, often called the "cathedral."
Catholic Church, side
Date: 1985This is the main church of the island, located in the South across from the Governor's Palace, and host to the largely Christian and metis community of the town.
Chamber of Commerce
Date: 1987The Saint-Louis Chamber of Commerce brought together the largely French companies operating in the region.
Chamber of Commerce 1994
Date: 1994The Saint-Louis Chamber of Commerce brought together the largely French companies operating in the region.
Crowd Gathering at the Public Square
Date: 1987Crowd gathering on the grounds of the Government Headquarters.
Gallery 1: Saint Louis -- An Overview of the City
Images and maps of Saint Louis included in the first essay of project.Gallery 2: A Secular and Republican Administration
Images included in the second essay of the projectGallery 3: The Christian Community
Images from Essay 3: The Christian CommunityGallery 4: The Muslim Community
Images from Essay 4: The Muslim CommunityGallery 5: The Muslim Tribunal
Images from Essay 5: The Muslim TribunalGallery 6: Muslim Education and Changing Sufi Identities
Images from Essay 6: Muslim Education and Changing Sufi IdentitiesGallery 7: Diplomacy
Images from Essay 7: DiplomacyGallery 8: Images Not Used in Essays
Other images in this collection that were not specifically mentioned or referenced in any essays.
General Council Building
Date: 1994In the 1880s the General Council constructed this building, housing its meeting rooms and offices, on the main branch of the river.
Government School for the Aristocracy
Date: 1985The "Ecole des Fils de Chefs et Otages" was created by the French colonial government in the 19th century to train chiefs and other members of the aristocracy. Later it was called the "Ecole des Fils de Chefs et Interpretes."
Governor's Palace
Date: 1985Government House in the center of the island of Saint-Louis. In the late 19th century the French built this elaborate administrative center for their operations in Senegambia and Mauritania. This was the headquarters and residence of the French Governor of Senegal. It was built to house the offices of administration for Senegal.
Headquarters of Maurel and Prom firm
Date: 1985This is a typical commercial store, with the warehouse and store located on the ground floor, and living quarters above. This is in the Nord or north quarter of the island, near the main branch (Grand Bras) of the river.
Monument of Faidherbe
Date: 1994Louis Leon Cesar Faidherbe, governor from 1854-61 and 1863-5, created many of the institutions of colonial Senegal and Mauritania
Muslim Cleric ("Marabout") Arriving in Saint-Louis
A postcard from the Senegal National Archives, created for a French audience in about 1900.
Muslim Tribunal
Date: 1997Under Governor Faidherbe, the French built a Muslim Tribunal where Islamic law would be practiced and opened this court in 1857.
Muslim Tribunal, side
Date: 1994Under Governor Faidherbe, the French built a Muslim Tribunal where Islamic law would be practiced and opened this court in 1857.
