Western Africa

Abidjan

Art Makers (11)

Art Spaces (6)

Originally Abidjan was only a small Atchan fishing village. In 1896, French colonists settled in Grand-Bassam decided to move to a safer place due to a series of deadly yellow fever epidemics and chose the current location of Abidjan. Abidjan, situated on the edge of the Ébrié Lagoon, also offered more land and greater opportunities for trade expansion. In fact, with the opening of the Vridi Canal which connected the lagoon to the sea, the city soon became the major shipping and financial center of West Africa, other than the colony’s primary port and capital. Colonial administrators also determined the city’s development into two districts: the administrative European district, established on the Plateau, and the African quarters at Treichville and Adjamé, which are now locations of major open-air markets. When Côte d’Ivoire was granted independence in 1960, Abidjan remained the capital of the new nation till 1983, when President Felix Houphouet-Boigny designated Yamoussoukro, his hometown, as the new official capital. Nevertheless, Abidjan has long been considered the cultural crossroads of West Africa and during its economic boom, it also earned the nickname “Paris of West Africa”, hosting various art and music festivals, such as the International Festival of Black Music, and the Festival of Urban Dances among others. However, in addition to Abidjan’s economic woes and the loss of its status as the national capital, the city recently faced the consequences of the First and Second Ivorian Civil Wars.

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