Senegalese president to unveil Museum of Black Civilisations

Louise Dewast

BBC Africa, Dakar

Andries Botha / Museum of Black Civilisations

This piece is one of the more modern inclusions in the museumImage caption: This piece is one of the more modern inclusions in the museum

Senegalese President Macky Sall will be inaugurating the country’s new Museum of Black Civilisations in the capital Dakar today.

The new Museum of Black Civilisations has changed the landscape of downtown Dakar.

Built in a circular shape, the architecture was inspired by traditional homes typical to southern Senegal.

The Museum of Black CivilizationsCopyright: The Museum of Black Civilizations

The Museum of Black Civilizations

The idea for this museum dates back more than 50 years, to the country’s late poet-president, Léopold Sédar Senghor.

After years of inaction construction was finally made possible after a $34m (£27m) Chinese investment.

Among the first temporary exhibitions to be shown is work from artists from Mali and Burkina Faso as well as from Cuba and Haiti.

The museum won't be a commemorative monument, its director says, but rather a creative laboratory to help shape a continent's sense of identity.