Attraction
Gorée Island
Small car-free island off Dakar, inscribed by UNESCO in 1978 as a place of memory of the Atlantic slave trade, with museums, forts and colonial-era houses.
Musée Théodore Monod d’Art Africain
IFAN's museum of West African art in a 1931 neo-Sudanese building on Place Soweto, with masks, sculpture, textiles and jewellery.
At a glance
- Type
- African art museum
- Area
- Dakar Plateau, Dakar, Senegal
Good to know
- Permanent collection
- Temporary exhibitions
Why we recommend it
The Musée Théodore Monod d'Art Africain is one of the oldest museums in West Africa and the best place in Dakar to see traditional art from across the region. It belongs to IFAN, the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, which is part of Cheikh Anta Diop University. The institute was founded in 1936 by the French naturalist Théodore Monod, and the museum was renamed in his honour in 2007; for decades before that it was known simply as the IFAN museum or Musée de Dakar.
The building is part of the experience. Completed in 1931 in a neo-Sudanese style, it first housed the administration of French West Africa, and its earthy facade echoes the mud architecture of the Sahel. It stands on Place Soweto in the Plateau, beside the National Assembly. The museum was renovated in the 1990s.
The collection holds about 9,000 objects, of which around 300 are on permanent display. Highlights include masks and statuettes, carved doors and seats, drums, gold jewellery linked to the trans-Saharan trade, pottery, basketry and textiles. Several displays group objects into scenes, for example Yoruba ritual or Senufo masquerade, which helps explain how they were used rather than simply showing them as art. The upper floor hosts temporary exhibitions, and the museum is one of the venues of the Dakar Biennale of contemporary African art.
Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The local guide Au Sénégal lists opening from Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays, but check before you go, as hours and admission arrangements can change. Labels are mainly in French, so a guide or a translation app is helpful. It is a calm, manageable museum that suits visitors of all ages, and a good complement to the larger and newer Musée des Civilisations Noires.
Place Soweto is in the heart of the Plateau, within walking distance of Place de l'Indépendance and the main business district. The Institut Français, with its garden café Le Bideew, is a few minutes away, and the ferry terminal for Gorée is a short taxi ride to the east, so the museum fits easily into a day in central Dakar.
Musée Théodore Monod d’Art Africain FAQs
Who runs the museum?
It belongs to IFAN, the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, part of Cheikh Anta Diop University.
Why is it named after Théodore Monod?
Monod founded IFAN in 1936, and the museum took his name in 2007.
How large is the collection?
About 9,000 objects, with around 300 on permanent display.
What kind of building is it?
A 1931 neo-Sudanese building that first housed the administration of French West Africa.
When is it open?
Au Sénégal lists Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, closed Monday; confirm before visiting.
How long should you allow?
An hour to an hour and a half.
Are labels in English?
Labels are mainly in French, so a guide or translation app helps.
What is nearby?
Place de l'Indépendance, the National Assembly and the Institut Français are all close by.