Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0197/01971.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 20KB | 412 lines

$Unique_ID{COW01971}
$Pretitle{269}
$Title{Cote d'Ivoire
Part 2}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Tourisme Cote d'Ivoire}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Cote d'Ivory, Washington DC}
$Subject{first
cote
senoufo
d'ivoire
village
ivorian
visitors
capital
grand-bassam
miles}
$Date{1990}
$Log{}
Country:     Cote d'Ivoire
Book:        Cote d'Ivoire Inviting, Mystical, Secure
Author:      Tourisme Cote d'Ivoire
Affiliation: Embassy of Cote d'Ivory, Washington DC
Date:        1990

Part 2

Grand-Bassam The Historical City

     Grand-Bassam has had a unique destiny, from its beginnings as the first
Ivorian capital to its present status as a quasi-suburb of Abidjan. Except
for the short-lived French settling of Assinie (east of Grand-Bassam) in the
XVIIth century under Louis XIV, it was in Grand-Bassam that lasting contacts
were established between France and what was to become Cote d'Ivoire. A
famous treaty was signed on February 19, 1842 between Lieutenant-Commander
Fleuriot de Langle and Grand-Bassam Chief Atekeble, otherwise known as Peter
Quashy, who traded his kingdom for a mirror, a gun, three casks of brandy and,
of all things, a street organ.

     The first trading houses were then built, together with a metal wharf
erected as a protection from the offshore bar, and in 1843, when the Ivorian
territory turned into a colony, Grand-Bassam became its natural capital. But
this status was short-lived, because of its cramped location, wedged between
the ocean and the lagoon. As early as 1900, Bingerville was chosen as the new
capital. Today, Grand-Bassam is a neat, sleepy town where old colonial
mansions with their typical columns and arches are sheltered by a screen of
coconut trees.

     The Old Quarter is a must; with its former Governor's Palace, now
restored and turned into a costume museum; its Courthouse where several
Ivorian politicians were tried in 1946 and the jail where they were held.
The Old Quarter also has an Artisan Center where you may buy ivory pieces
and statuettes. If you visit in November, you will be able to attend the
colorful and traditional Abissa festival, held by the local ethnic group,
the N'Zima.

Assouinde-Assinie: In the Footsteps of Aniaba, Godchild of Louis XIV

     From Grand-Bassam, you can go to the "Assouinde Mangroves" resort or
to Club Med for a day of relaxation. Both enjoy an idyllic, dream-like
location, in the midst of a splendid coconut grove, on a stretch of land
between the lagoon and the ocean. From this edenic setting, an excursion
to Assinie is a must, since this small fishermen's village has a fascinating
past. This is the first site the French tried to settle in the XVIIth
century. On December 24, 1687, an envoy from Louis XIV signed a friendship
treaty with the King of Assinie, and was allowed to return to France with
one of the King's sons, Aniaba, who became the hero of a golden tale. He
was presented to the Court of the Sun King, taught Christian principles,
baptized on April 1, 1691 by Bossuet, and given the King himself as
godfather. He was then brought up as a nobleman, joined a royal regiment
as an officer, and returned to Assinie with the rank of Cavalry Captain ...
From then on, however, the dashing officer sank back into anonymity-a
trivial conclusion for such brilliant beginnings.

     In 1881, Assinie was also chosen by a Frenchman, Verdier, as the site
for the first coffee plantation, a crop that was to revolutionize the Ivorian
economy. In 1882, the first French school was also built in Assinie;
Treich-Laplene taught there at the time.

Bingerville: The Garden Capital (1900-1934)

     Grand-Bassam's misfortune led to the glory of a small Ebrie village,
built high on a plateau over-looking the lagoon, 9 miles east of Abidjan.
It became the Colonial Administration's choice for a new capital, but not
without many difficulties. The Administration had to coax not only the
displaced local population, but also the French settlers from Grand-Bassam.
Finally, on November 25, 1900, the new capital was inaugurated. It was named
Bingerville as a tribute to Binger, the first explorer, governor and founder
of the colony.

     A must is the Governor's Palace, a splendid mansion with a typical
colonial design, set in a vast, formal French garden. Begun in 1903, the
palace was completed in 1912, with Angoulvant as its first resident governor.
It has since become an orphanage. The Combes Museum is named after a French
artist known for his daring wooden sculptures representing the various Ivorian
ethnic types.

Bregbo: Center of the Harris Cult

     Located a few miles from Bingerville, this small Ebrie village is well
worth a visit. It is the residence of Prophet Atcho, an unusual healer and
preacher of the Harris faith. This healing method is based on a form of
psychotherapy. Patients undergo a long questioning period, confess their
sins, then take herbal medicines. A cure follows in nine cases out of ten.

Tiagba: The Village on a Lake

     From Dabou, Tiagba is a worthwhile excursion. It is built entirely on
piles driven into the lagoon, and it is a graphic example of man's adaptation
to his environment. Fishing is, of course, the main activity, and visitors may
admire the skill and know-how of fishermen casting their nets.

Gomon: The Mysterious Dipri Rituals

     If you visit Cote d'Ivoire in April, you must go to Gomon, a village some
60 miles north of Abidjan, to attend the Dipri, an annual initiation rite for
the Abidji, the local ethnic group. The festival features world-class magic:
with sharp daggers, initiates cut themselves deeply, but the wounds heal
immediately after they are smeared with a balm prepared by medicine men. The
Dipri festival attracts thousands of visitors.

     A word of caution: No one may enter Gomon on the festival day, since all
gates are tightly closed on the eve of the ceremony. Arriving on the preceding
evening, you have the opportunity to experience a night in an Ivorian village.

The Central Region Heart of the Baoule Country

     This region has a dual character, since it overlaps the southern
woodlands and the northern savannahs; it is also the homeland of the Baoule,
the largest ethnic group in Cote d'Ivoire. Their story is well known, thanks
to a popular legend telling of their "long march" from the Gold Coast (a
former British colony, now Ghana). In 1748, the Baoule people were led into
exile by a bold and beautiful queen, Abla Pokou.

     Pursued by their enemies, the Baoule emigrants had to offer, as a
sacrifice to the river gods, the Queen's only son, in order to obtain a safe
crossing. This may be a legend, but it is a beautiful expression of the
hardships inflicted upon the exiles when crossing a swelling river. Once
arrived in Cote d'Ivoire, the Baoules flourished in the central savannahs
around Bouake, and made forays to the south.

     As for Queen Pokou, she set up residence in Sakassou, a small settlement
west of Bouake, and tried from there to restore her sovereignty; but her
people's extreme dispersal made the task difficult. Today, the Baoules are the
largest Ivorian ethnic group, approximately 15 subgroups.

Bouake: The Festive Capital

     With 800,000 residents, Bouake is the second largest city in Cote
d'Ivoire. Its traditional neighborhoods are sprawled around a business center
symbolized by the bold skyline of its two luxury hotel complexes: the Ranhotel
and the Hamattan Sogetel. Bouake enjoys a crossroads location in the center of
the country and also benefits from two long-standing assets: the railroad
which linked it to Abidjan as early as 1914 and reached Ouagadougou (in
Burkina Faso) in 1954, and the Gonfreville textile mill, built in 1926. Today,
the city houses many factories and research institutes. If you visit in March,
you will be able to attend the week-long Carnival, a festivity attracting
thousands of visitors every year.

Recommended Tourist Sites: The Television Complex

     This Center is the key to the Ivorian educational system, based on a
methodical utilizatio