Stepping out of Mali's capital international airport, a desolate...
Tattoos of a Young Girl in Mali
On the way to the city of bamako, the capital, cars are speeding. The guide and interpreter who accompanied me on the whole trip to Mali was assigned by the Malian national tourism department, named Irami Sori Sisi, who was not friendly, polite and sincere, and he said to me: "These days I accompany me all the time, you can call me Sisi, this is my last name." Ten minutes drive away, a pink arch appeared on the road ahead, and the three crocodiles carved on the door made me feel new.
Close-up of Crocodile Gate
Crocodile Gate
Sissi pointed to the crocodile and introduced: "Bamako is also known as the 'City of Crocodiles', and the crocodile is the symbol of the city of Bamako. Long ago, Bamako was a swampy land full of cute crocodiles, and later a man named Bamako came here to live and named the place Bamako after him. Locals believe that the soul of Bamako is a crocodile. "The car enters downtown Bamako, and a wide, calm river lies in front of you. Sisi introduced: "This is the famous Niger River, passing through the territory of Mali, the local language is called Jiuli Bar, known as the blood of Mali, Bamako is located on both sides of the river, north of the Kuruba Mountains, is a city surrounded by mountains and waters. The 1,200-meter-long Bamako Bridge fly from north to south, connecting the two parts of the city into one.
Independence Monument
At present, the city's population is 2 million, which is one-eighth of the country's total population. "The capital of Mali is a beautiful city. The Nigeri River is turquoise and the mango trees are lush. The Independence Monument is located in the central square of Independence Avenue, towering majestically into the sky.
It is a tower building with four arches, and the top is very ethnic, and Sissi said: "Mali's independence is not easy to come by, and it can be called a history of blood and tears." With an area of more than 1.24 million square kilometers and a population of 16 million, Mali is the second largest country in West Africa. However, such a great power was ravaged by other countries, and in 1895 it became a French colony and became a French sultan. It was incorporated into French West Africa in 1904. The people of Mali have worked tirelessly and struggled for liberation. The Republic of Mali was finally established independently in 1960. This monument was built for the independence of Mali. After sisi's introduction, he added: "Mali is a vast land, the southern part is a savannah, the central semi-desert area, the northern part is the Sahara Desert, there are many historical sites and world cultural heritage sites such as the ancient city of Tumbutu, the water city of Mopti, the ancient city of Djane, the ruins of Dogong and the cliffs of Bangjagala and the tombs of the kings of Gaia asschia. "The free market, located next to the mosque, is a big attraction in Bamako. When you come here, you will first see a variety of animal bones, including deer heads, crocodiles, eagle heads, etc., which is the animal medicine market.
Scary animal skeleton market
Next up is the leather market, crocodile skin, snake skin, cowhide, sheepskin and so on.
Animal bones are used to treat diseases
Black heart wood
Animal skins
The stalls leading to the wood carving market are also bustling, with the sound of hammers and saws, and the clanging is incessant. There are also cloth, vegetable, spices, and fruit markets here, which is really dazzling and complete with species. In addition to admiring the various goods, you can also see the locals dressed in various costumes. Men wear Arabic robes, mainly white and blue, and woolen hats. Women wear floral dresses, exposing their shoulders, wrapping their heads in floral turbans, or carrying goods through the crowds of the market or trading in front of the shelves.
Rich women's headdresses are worth millions
The girl shows the author the hand prints
In Bamako, I went to the top of Mount Kurumba to overlook the city, which was originally the seat of the French Governor's Palace, and now the Office of the Presidential Palace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other offices. At the foot of Mount Kurumba is the National Museum. The buildings are not large, but the green area is not small, and many historical sites have been built that have been reduced, such as the ancient city of Djenne. Many excavated artifacts are on display in the museum, showing the living conditions of the ancient Malian people.
National Museum
The author is in front of the museum
With an area of 263 square kilometres, the urban area of Bamako is the largest city in Mali. In the capital, I also went to the Islamic Monument, the Freedom Monument, and the Archaic Monument.
Monument to words
Central Bank of West African Countries Building, Islamic Street Painting and New Government Office Building. Sissi told me: "The new government office area was built with the help of former Libyan President Muammar El-Qaddafi when he was alive. Because Gaddafi's mother was Malian, he was related to Mali by blood. Sisi paused for a moment and continued: "Gaddafi has not only helped build a new government office area, but also built many projects, and mali and Libya have always had good relations." Speaking of Mali's relations with China, Sissi put up a thumbs up: "China and Mali are very friendly, and China has helped build the Niger River Bridge, the Parliament Building, the Textile Factory, the Sugar Factory, the Tannery, the Pharmaceutical Factory, the Stadium, etc. in Mali.
Bank building built with Chinese aid
China has sent 22 groups of medical teams to Mali, totaling more than 700 people, and has also aided the construction of Mali hospitals. "Walking down Marie Avenue, I saw a lot of Chinese companies and restaurants with Chinese written on them. There are many Chinese elements here, including Chinese peacekeepers here. Finally, I came to the radission blaeinto hotel chain in Mali, also known as the Radisson Blu Hotel, which was attacked by terrorists.
The world-shaking attack took place at this international hotel chain
In fact, this hotel is very general, a five-story diagonal window building, the exterior wall color is pink and white. The street in front of the hotel is not very wide, and there are occasionally some small shops and stalls. In this less conspicuous building, there have been world-shaking attacks. At midnight on November 20, 2015, an unidentified group of armed men arrived and took 170 hostages, killing 20. Sisi introduced: "According to the analysis of the locals, the target of this attack was mainly the French, because the French ruled Mali for a long time, and some Malians were dissatisfied with the French. But there were no French in this attack, and there were usually many French people here. ”
Statue of a soccer ball played in the heart of the street
The above photos are snapped up
The night sky in Mali is deep and quiet...
But Bamako is troubled, sirens are blowing, gunshots are constantly sounding...
(The photos in the article are all taken by the author, and the camera is the Nikon d800 type)