of Course the elevators did not go. The four piece have you installed in this Church, the largest in the world, is thought of everything: The 7000 seats have their own air conditioning. The Windows are 7400 square metres in size. An organ, there are, of course. All is well in the shot. Only the Elevator isn’t working. “This is Africa”, says the tourist guide, and laughs.
The largest Church in the world is called the “Guinness book of world records,” the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix. You could describe it as the craziest in the world. In Yamoussoukro you, the capital of the ivory coast. In 1960, the country of France, Houphouët-independent and Félix Boigny, the first President. For more than 30 years, he ruled and thought it was a good idea to move the capital from the coast metropolis of Abidjan, in his native village of Yamoussoukro, in a Podunk town in the middle of the jungle, in the then a highway was built, a Convention center, a presidential Palace and a 300-room luxury hotel.
Finally, only one Church, which should not be any missing, but one of the biggest in the world. The consecration of the Pope should arrive, including the President, made it. In return, the state of the Church should get the huge Church in the jungle given, in the year 1985 saw the start of construction, three years later, everything was ready.
The Pope was skeptical
The Vatican responded at first reluctant on the gift. Two things bothered, apparently: that the Basilica has been in the jungle a striking Resemblance to the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and him still a few feet will protrude. And that it does not arrive in the Public domain, perhaps so well that the Pope is such a wasteful structure is blessing in a country where many fought for Survival every day. So, you informed the President: The Pope comes, if the Church remains among the 136 meters of St. Peter’s Basilica and a hospital building for the needy.
Yeah, they said in the ivory coast. The Pope said, and in Yamoussoukro, they put a giant cross on the dome, which dominates the St. Peter’s Basilica to 25 meters. The hospital was 27 years after the Pope’s visit finished. Both, Hospital and Church, did not look as if they could save themselves barely in front of visitors. On a good day, 500 people to the exhibition may come, especially on hot days, the Basilica is popular – because of the air conditioning.
modesty was not necessarily a core feature of Félix Houphouët-Boigny. He was formerly the chief of the village of Yamoussoukro, he later became the chieftain of the whole country. He had a large Palace building – exactly where the chief had his cabin. He had the Hotel build with insane luxury, and a Golf course. You can call it from today’s perspective, senseless waste – there is a criticism, it was at the opening of the Church. He had paid with his own money, said the President at the time.
at the Time, but it wasn’t just about personal enrichment. “Discover the traces of the traditional village of the President and the prototype of the modern Africa”, it was stated in the first brochure of hotel President in Yamoussoukro. Because that is what it was primarily the creation of a new Africa, with its own symbols, its own future. From downtrodden States, thriving communities should be. Victims of the self-conscious designer. Out of the jungle, proud churches stand.
chief and physicians
The Problem of colonialism were not only his atrocities and crimes, but also that he has created artificial States, different peoples had pressed with different languages and traditions in a territory. And then after a few decades passed, and said: Well, go on power alone, without telling how actually.
So did President Houphouët-Boigny alone. He was a tribal chief and a trained physician. He was a member of Parliament in France, and then President in a country full of illiterates. He tried his hand at a mixture of Yesterday and Tomorrow, Tradition and the future, of democracy, and Factionalism. He was initially quite successful and multiplied the average income within a few years. From the lagging to the ivory coast was suddenly to South Africa the most successful country in Africa.
In Yamoussoukro were the old huts of the village is the new heart of the Palace, prior to that, he had three huge lakes, where a couple of dozen crocodiles have been exposed to, in order to attract tourists, but also to the spirits of the ancestors graciously. When the President was still alive, he let go of his crocodiles, as well, chicken and liver to you have get. When Houphouët-Boigny died in 1993, is said to have a man to the crocodiles alive at the Frass accused, because it is the great leader, nothing more, for what it’s worth to live for.
Today, the pool will make a pretty impression of neglect, are full of plastic waste. Two crocodiles raise their heads out of the mud, as I look on a hot afternoon. It doesn’t take long, to me a soldier away and says the crocodiles were particularly keen on the meat of White.
other tourists is nothing to see, except a young Couple from the capital, this is because of the crocodiles. Until a few years ago, to tell you, gave it to an old man who for the tourists feedings organized. He rose to the crocodiles in the pond down, lifted with a stick in your cock, if you get eaten and were tired.
one afternoon in the year 2017, he estimated the degree of saturation of their animals wrong and was eaten by a. The local mayor considered it one way or the other as the bad character of the spirits.
In the province of you still believe in such things. In the former capital of tend not to. Abidjan is one of the most interesting and beautiful cities of the continent, a modern large city that is distributed on various Islands. The economy has been growing for years in full swing, everywhere, new office, pull up houses high. It is something I am going to show new Africa, which was presented to the old President.
masks in addition to modern lamps
“Africa is today” or “Africa is tomorrow” is written on the T-Shirts and the waiter at the Bushman’s Café, which is probably the most beautiful place in Abidjan. The Name had made me skeptical, because in every Podunk town in South Africa a pub name, then often as a pretty ordinary out.
it Is, but once there, you will see the treasures it has accumulated a husband and wife, here. As design classics from Philippe Starck available in addition to traditional African furniture. In the small rooms of the Hotels, there are objects from the neighboring countries, from every era of the story: masks, in addition to modern lamps.
The huge roof terrace is a Restaurant and Shop in one: On a stand of the latest Design dresses from Lagos to hang, there are chocolate from the ivory coast and coffee from Ghana. On the map, a Best-of of the West African kitchen Jollof rice from Senegal and spicy chicken from Nigeria, is. It is also late in the evening still so hot and humid that the waiters bring out huge fans to the tables.
It is a self-confident and pretty cool Africa, in the Small, where you want to stay forever, an idea of Africa, which seems more natural than the large buildings and dreams of the old President. His Speeches run loop in the Background as a kind of duration, accompanied with electronic music.
Created: 24.10.2019, 18:34 PM
