Kaolack

Kaolack is a river port and one of the largest cities in Senegal, located 189 kilometers South-East of Dakar.

History

The city of Kaolack is a colonial creation that found the village of Ndagane on-site today the old quarter of the city. Kaolack has been and still is a large important center of transit for groundnuts, Senegal cash crop. In other words, the city of the most important in Senegal.

Kaolack is also the capital of the Department and the region of Kaolack. Kaolack is located in a former Kingdom, called Saloum. The city was built in a site characterized by a strong salt retention. The arm of the sea of Saloum is the cause of this retention and a long-standing company specialized in the exploitation of salt monopoly in the region.

However, the Kingdom of Saloum quite refractory to the European presence has agreed under the fear of repression, the construction of the fort of Kaolack under Pinet-Laprade. The fort built near the sea arm of Saloum was the heart of a french territory within the Kingdom of Saloum. During the wars of the local rulers, Maba Ba, a Muslim sovereign of Nioro in Rip (currently the Department of the region of Kaolack) and Lat-Dior Diop sovereign of the Cayor in exile, attacked the fort of Kaolack.

Kaolack was a transit center in groundnuts and the salt trade. The construction of the railroad has contributed in bringing groundnut basin into the city.

Religion

Catholicism

Kaolack is the seat of a Catholic diocese. The Cathedral of Kaolack has been called St. Theophilus Turpin. The current Archbishop of Senegal, cardinal Theodore - Adrien Sarr, served there for many years, when he was the Bishop of the diocese of Kaolack.

Islam

The great mosque of Kaolack, who started with the guide of the Niassene, Baye Nias tidjane brotherhood, is today the heart of a large area: Medina Baye. It was inaugurated on Friday, February 26, 2010. This district protects the family of the marabout tidjane who died in 1975. Every year on the occasion of the celebration of the birth of Muhammad, the city of Kaolack sees a large influx of faithful in the maraboutique district of Medina Baye.

The current Caliph of Medina Baye is Sheikh Ahmed Tidjiane Ibrahim Nias, the son of Baye Nias. The Imam of the Grand Mosque is the grandson of Baye Nias. He is called Sheikh Tidjiane Alioune Cisse. He succeeded his brother Imam Hassan Alioune Cisse who passed away on August 14, 2008. This last one was a very active member of the propagation of the teachings of the brotherhood in many countries such as France, United States, Gambia and many Arab countries. Imam Hassane Alioune Cisse being a great intellectual and a polyglot, he was regularly out of Senegal.

The brotherhood has built many infrastructure like schools, clinic, pharmacy. Mamoune Niass, the current leader of the RP (Rally for the people),a  political party from the left, is the son of Baye Nias.

The District of Medina Baye is one of the few places in Senegal that where assemble more than 20 colonies from different nationalities. The West Africans are present in the colonies, plus other from the Center of Americans who are there to study the Quran, Sufism and the Tidjania

Geography

The closest communities are Sibon Moussa, Touba Murid, Tiofak, Kahone, Palado and Koutal.

Dakar, the capital, located 192 km.

Economy

Kaolack is an important communications hub.

Thanks to its port on the Saloum, the city has long lived in the heart of the production and export of groundnut.

source https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaolack