File:MedinaBaayMosque.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Kaolack
Sign in to saveAlso known as Kawlax
Kaolack (; ) is a town with a population of 298,904 (2023 census) on the north bank of the Saloum River about from its mouth and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an important regional market town and is Senegal's main peanut trading and processing center. As the center of the Ibrahimiyya branch of the Tijaniyyah Sufi order founded by Ibrayima Ñas, it is also a major center of Islamic education. The Leona Niassene mosque (right) in Kaolack is one of the largest and best known in Senegal.
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Place details
- Locality
- Kaolack
- Region
- Kaolack
- Country
- Sénégal
- Population
- 298,904
- Timezone
- Africa/Dakar
via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames
Key facts
- Settlement.official_name
- Kaolack
- Settlement.other_name
- كاولاك
- Settlement.settlement_type
- Town
- Settlement.image_skyline
- MedinaBaayMosque.jpg
- Settlement.image_caption
- The mosque at Medina Baay, Kaolack
- Settlement.mapsize
- 250px
- Settlement.pushpin_map
- Senegal
- Settlement.subdivision_type
- Country
- Settlement.subdivision_type1
- Region
- Settlement.subdivision_type2
- Department
- Settlement.subdivision_name1
- Kaolack Region
- Settlement.subdivision_name2
- Kaolack Department
- Settlement.population_total
- 298904
- Settlement.population_as_of
- 2023 census
- Settlement.timezone
- GMT
- Settlement.utc_offset
- +0
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Population
- 172305
- Elevation
- 22
- Image
- MedinaBaayMosque.jpg
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- Kaolack
- P12749
- Ponte dei Bareteri
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
Travel guide
Get around
Taxis (between 700 and 800 FCFA) are the main way to get around Kaolack or you can take a moto if you are brave enough.
See
thumbnail|Senegambian stone circles Most of Kaolack's glory is in its past as it is rumored to have had some of the best mangroves in Africa but any evidence of these has long since disappeared. Kaolack has one of the biggest covered markets in West Africa. The market has a good selection of wax fabrics as this is where smaller buyers come from around the region to purchase fabric. You can easily get 2 meters for 1500 CFA or 6 meters for 3500. Another site to be seen in the market is the "gris-gris" market where vendors sell everything from skins to shells for the local charm makers.
The stone circles at Wanar is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Buy
You can visit the Village Artisianal to find a selection of arts and crafts. As mentioned earlier, Kaolack has a great selection of Wax fabric available in the covered market. Most of the fabric sellers are located in the outer ring of shops.
Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)
~5 min read
Article
9 sectionsContents
- History
- Climate
- Neighbourhoods
- International relations
- Twin towns — Sister cities
- Notable people
- See also
- References
- External links
Kaolack (; ) is a town with a population of 298,904 (2023 census) on the north bank of the Saloum River about from its mouth and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an important regional market town and is Senegal's main peanut trading and processing center. As the center of the Ibrahimiyya branch of the Tijaniyyah Sufi order founded by Ibrayima Ñas, it is also a major center of Islamic education. The Leona Niassene mosque (right) in Kaolack is one of the largest and best known in Senegal.
==History== Kaolack is the successor city to Kahone, historic capital of the kingdom of Saloum. Originally marked by a sacred tree on the right bank of the Saloum River facing the island of Kouyong, Kahone consisted of a number of distinct neighborhoods separated by open fields, each under the jurisdiction of a different dignitary or official. Kaolack, downriver, was one of these.
On the map
3 mapped locations