Map of Bamako
Bamako is the capital and largest city of Mali. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the Upper and Middle Niger Valleys, in the southwestern part of the country. The name Bamako comes from the Bambara word meaning “place of crocodile”.
Arch of Bamako
History
The area of the city has been continuously inhabited since the Palaeolithic, but the founding of Bamako occurred in the seventeenth century by Seribadian Niaré and Soumba Coulibaly, or Bamba Sanogo, before its chiefdom passed to Diaoussadian Niaré. The city was an important market town. In 1883 the region was occupied by French troops, and in 1908, Bamako became the capital of the French Sudan. Its population has grown rapidly; in 1960 Bamako’s population was approximately 160,000 and now have grown to about 1.7 million people.
Niger River’s rapids at Bamako
Location
Bamako is by the Niger River. The city is on a flood plain, the land bordering the river not suitable for massive city development. Bamako is relatively flat, except to the immediate north where there is an escarpment, and where the Presidential Palace and main hospital are located. This place called Kouluba and you can have an overall view of Bamako from Point G.
Bamako view from north at Point G
Bamako view from south, the escarpment and Kouloba at the background
Originally, the city developed on the northern side of the river, but as it grew, bridges were developed to connect the north with the south.
Bamako City and the Grand Mosque at the background
Bamako City
One of goat markets in Bamako
The first of these was the Pont des Martyrs and the Pont du Roi Fahd Abdul Aziz.
Pont des Martyrs
The new third bridge will be the largest in Mali is being constructed. The project is expected to take two years to complete. The bridge will be 1,450 metres in length, 24 metres broad with two lanes in each direction plus cycles tracks and pavements plus a kilometre of access roads. The bridge will also facilitate access to the proposed biggest hospital in Mali at Yirimadio.
Crossing over Niger River’s rock bed
Additionally there is an older bridge to the east of Bamako which was constructed on the Niger river’s rock bed.
Orange’s Building in ACI 2000, Bamako
Historically the city also contained a military airport to the west of the city. However, this has now been closed and is now a new business area known as ACI 2000.
New 1,008 units housing scheme in Yirimadio, south of Bamako
Notable landmarks in Bamako include the National Library of Mali, BCEAO building, Bamako Grand Mosque, Cathedral of Bamako and the King Fahd Abdul Aziz Bridge. The Mali Bamako-Senou International Airport, as well as the Dakar-Niger Railway, to Koulikoro in eastern Mali and Dakar in Senegal are situated in Bamako. Attractions include the Mali National Museum, Bamako Regional Museum, Bamako Zoo, the Bamako Botanical Gardens and the Point G hill, containing caves with rock paintings.
BCEAO (Banque Centrale des Etats de L’Afrique de l’Ouest) Tower
Grand Mosque Building
Catholic Cathedral Building
National Assembly Building
Post Office Building
Railway Train Station
National Museum of Mali
mamadou
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This is the life of UmmuAsslam
I really like Bamako and its landscaping. I would luv to visit there one day
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Hi Tris
Thank you for you comments
Thanks for the photographs. So interesting. Love to go.
Tris
Inisogoma Nathan
Iniche. Somogo?
Yes therare some improvement on the infrastructures over here some are not. Buses slowly replaces baches. Baxches still can be seen as mode of transport outside Bamako to rural area. I have some photographs of the buses. it is quite good as they were imported from Europe. As for sewer there are improvement too. All new houses must use septic tank, nevertheless all these improvement gradually take place.
Thank you for your visit and comment. Hope to see you again in Bamako soon.
Thanks
inisogoma. I was in Mali in the Peace Corps in 1980; some of Bamako has changed, but some has, unfortunately, stayed the same. My Malian students here tell me that there are no more “baches” only buses, but I have yet to see a bus in any picture of Bamako. When I was there, there were open sewers (similar to what one still sees in Haiti). I would hope that the city has put in an underground system. They already had sewers in Burkina Fasso (at that time Haute Volta) when I visited there at that same time. I would love to be able to visit Mali again some time to see the changes.
Nate W.
San Antonio, TX
hi
for the travel to bko you can contact 1 of the good travel agency in Bamko here is the address and detail
*********************************************
SATGURU TRAVEL AND TOURS SERVICES
RADISSON SAS HOTEL BAMAKO,
HAMDALLAYE ACI 2000,
BAMAKO –MALI
PH : +223-20221-26-13/20221-26-38
FAX +223-20221-27-42
CEL : +223-76212024/ 6682 27 16/7910 50 45
Email : stts-bko@amadeusmali.com
Hello Amechi
Yes French is the lingua franca, the national language of most of countries in Africa. They also speaks in local dialect Bambara. Quite a number of them speaks English especially those has business deals with or educated in English speaking countries.
They are many English speaking people in Bamako especially American NGO volunteers. Restaurant Broadway is the place to meet them
Thanks
Hello,
I will be relocating to Bamako to start my company business operations soon,just wanted to find out if they speak english at all in bamoko cos i heard their lingua franca is french
Hi Awali.
Its depend on your schedule and climate. I think during summer is the best time to visit Mali as less tourists like to visit Mali because the weather here is hot. It may reachs 40C but 36C on average. The weather a little cooler during rainy season or they call it here winter season between July to January.
Two big events organised annually in early January, The Desert Festival in Timbuktu and Festival of Niger in first saturday of February in Segou. During this period the weather is fine and cool as 15C at night and too many visitors attending the 2 big events
Thanks for your interest and welcomes you to visit Mali
Hi I’m in philly (US). I want to go to Mali and would like to know when is the cheapest time to go?
Assalamual’aikum Ayoh Awi.
First of all, thousand thanks for your links to my blog.
I always use these 3 options to come to Bamako, Mali. First via Paris then to Bamako by Air France, Second, via Bangkok and Nairobi to Bamako by Kenya Airways and thirdly via Dubai, Casablanca by Emirates and Air Maroc. Air fares about RM8-10 ribu 2-ways, prices are depends on the season. Hotel rates in Bamako and other parts of Africa is expensive. 5star hotel rates stars at USD250, 3 star hotel rates around USD70-100. Rates for cheap or budget hotels like I used to stay are around USD40-60. But their star unlike our star, standard slightly below ours. In Mali public transports are quite good, taxi (old taxi), mini bus, express buses for long distance between city and country and domestic flight too.
Malaysia community is not known except 2 of us, but about 20 Malian who can speaks bahasa here (ex-student of Malaysian universities).
Soon I will posting about other things and regions after complete my memory in Indonesia that I have prepared while I was in Timbuktu recently.
Thank you.
mamadou,
Please describe how to get there. I dont think there is any direct flight from KL so which is the nearest route? Tell us about the hotels in Bamako and their various rates so that we will know how much to budget. Is there a Malaysian community in Bamako? What about public transport?
Some parts of the city look very green. Very interesting article.
Assalamu’alaikum Ummi
Kat sini buaya darat tu pun tak tahan kat darat lama-lama …….panas……panas
assalamualaikum…bila saya baca ttg makna Bamako…place of buaya,,,hebat maknanya…buaya tembaga…bagus yg takutnya buaya darat…wassalam