Bamako

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Grand Marché de Bamako, Bamako, Bamako, Mali

About Bamako

Bamako spreads along both banks of the Niger River where it widens beneath the sandstone hills of the Manding plateau. The capital of Mali is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa, home to several million people, and its name is usually translated from Bambara as crocodile river. Three bridges tie the old city on the north bank to the newer quarters on the south.

A small trading town when French forces arrived in the 1880s, it became the capital of the colony of French Sudan in 1908 and of independent Mali in 1960. Today it is above all a city of music, the home ground of griots and kora players and of stars such as Salif Keita and Amadou and Mariam, and of markets loud with bargaining over bazin cloth and gold.

The National Museum and the park beside it are the cultural heart of the city, while the Grand Marché, the Maison des Artisans and the riverbanks show daily life. Check current travel advice carefully before planning any trip to Mali, as conditions in the country can change quickly.

Best seasonNovember to February, the cool dry season; March to May is very hot and the rains fall mainly from June to September.

Ideal stayTwo to three days for the museum, park, markets and an evening of live music.

ArrivingModibo Keita International Airport lies south of the city; taxis are the usual way into town.

11 Unforgettable Things to Do in Bamako

Museums 1

National Museum of Mali

Set in gardens at the foot of the Koulouba hill, the National Museum of Mali is one of the finest museums in West Africa. Its gall...

Parks 1

Parc National du Mali

Opened in 2010 next to the National Museum, this landscaped park was created with support from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture on t...

Landmarks 4

Grand Mosque of Bamako

Rising above the busy streets of the city centre near the Grand Marché, the Grand Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Bamako,...

Tour de l'Afrique

Among the many monuments that dot Bamako's roundabouts, the Tour de l'Afrique is one of the most striking, a tall structure dedica...

Monument de l'Indépendance, Bamako

On the Boulevard de l'Indépendance in the city centre, this tall monument commemorates Mali's independence from France in 1960. It...

Pont des Martyrs

The oldest of Bamako's bridges across the Niger links the city centre with the southern districts, and was renamed in memory of th...

Shopping 2

Grand Marché de Bamako

The great central market and the streets around it form a sprawling maze of stalls selling dyed bazin and mud cloth, beads, gold j...

Maison des Artisans de Bamako

Close to the Grand Mosque, this crafts centre gathers workshops where jewellers, leather workers, woodcarvers and weavers make and...

History 1

Sacred Heart Cathedral of Bamako

Built during the colonial period, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Bamako and one of t...

Nature 1

Arche de Kamadjan

About 30 kilometres southwest of Bamako near the village of Siby, the Kamadjan arch is a huge natural sandstone bridge on the edge...

Events 1

Rencontres de Bamako

Since 1994 Bamako has hosted the Rencontres de Bamako, a biennial festival that has become one of the leading showcases for Africa...

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Photo credits

Photo: Mansahamda, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mah-Fanta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Toujours Passages, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Gregor Rom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Carolinerre, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Davidoscarbodart, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Carolinerre, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rgaudin, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Nadia Diallo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Upyernoz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Robin Taylor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5