Ivory Coast's Small Capital City
A trip to Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
This church is big. Human for scale
This is the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix, but we'll get to that later
Although Abidjan is by far the largest city in Ivory Coast, the country’s administrative capital is located more in-land. Yamoussoukro is located about 270 kilometers from Abidjan and is easy to reach by road, leading you through the thick, lush forests.
The main road of Yamoussoukro leads up to the largest church in the world
During his reign, the first president of Ivory Coast Houphouët-Boigny decided to proclaim his birth town as Ivory Coast's capital, which makes Yamoussoukro a village in city's clothes. One of the most famous sights of the town, that lies in the middle of the Ivorian brousse, is the presidential palace, which is guarded by 'sacred crocodiles’.
Mohamed picks flowers in the swampy area on the outskirts of Yamoussoukro
The presidential palace complex can be partly seen from the roadside
The presidential palace of Yamoussoukro was once built for president Félix Houphouët-Boigny, and it was his idea to let his residence be guarded by Ivory Coast's most ferocious crocodiles. According to Nobel prize winner and writer VS Naipaul, the crocs have military ranks and are also official members of the Ivorian cabinet. The fence around the croc pond is only 1 meter high, so it's a good idea to be cautious when moving around: one unlucky military guard was previously torn to pieces by the biggest crocodile, the 'Chef de Cabinet'.
Several crocodiles can be found in the pond right in front of the presidential palace complex
The city of Yamoussoukro isn't only known for its holy crocodiles, it's also the town where president Houphouët-Boigny ordered the construction of the biggest church in the world. Building the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix cost a fortune, but it does feature 200.000 air-conditioned seats. It is said that the grotesque church is an oversized copy of the Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
The two sights make for a nice walk, but there isn't too much more to do in the small town that Yamoussoukro also is. That makes it a perfect one-day trip from the more bustling city of Abidjan on Ivory Coast's south coast.
The lush forests that surround Yamoussoukro can be seen from atop the Basilique
Hoi! My name is Joost Bastmeijer, and I’m a Dutch freelance travel writer and photojournalist currently traveling through Africa. Check out my photos on Instagram at instagram.com/joostbastmeijer, or visit my website to see some more of my work: joostbastmeijer.com!