Place de l'Indépendance
The heart of Dakar's city centre, surrounded by colonial-era buildings, banks and government institutions.
Independence Square is the centre of Dakar's Plateau district. In the colonial era it was known as Place Protêt. Around it stand the Chamber of Commerce building, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, banks and hotels, with a fountain and monument at its centre. It is the starting point for walking tours of the city centre: to the south lie the Presidential Palace and the cathedral, to the east the Kermel market and the Gorée Island ferry pier, and to the west the Sandaga Market. Currency exchange and taxis are easy to find nearby. Touts and fake guides are common, so a polite refusal is enough.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Kermel Market
- Presidential Palace, Dakar
- Sandaga Market
- Dakar Cathedral
- Théodore Monod Museum of African Art
- Museum of Black Civilizations
- Grand Théâtre National
- Grand Mosque of Dakar