African Renaissance statue in the Senegalese capital, Dakar (Al Jazeera)

With tremendous noise, the sounds of ancient folk music rise from the gate of that small café, in the early hours of the morning and as the sunset curtains fall, nothing interrupts the noise in Senegal, an African country with deep-rooted traditions in art, politics, and mysticism.

Abdoulaye drinks a cup of Toba coffee - which is extremely popular in Senegal - before biting into a small sandwich that smells of African spices, to begin a work trip that begins at five in the morning, and then does not end until the hands meet five o’clock again.

Dakar and most cities in Senegal do not know how to sleep. As soon as a group of workers and residents go to their homes, others have shaken off their robes of comfort and set off to other sessions of work, production, art and entertainment.

Dakar is a vibrant city, not devoid of constant fantasy. There are the sounds of the call to prayer with an ancient African melody, interrupting the tranquility of the sleepless night in some neighborhoods of Dakar due to the clamor of music and parties, and in the morning the markets turn into a space of noise, mixed with contradictory smells, which is strong and provokes the tastes. And what pleases and delights the senses.

Although it is a relatively modern city, as it was founded by the French in 1857; The city of Dakar, unlike most of its neighbors, has had a port and a railway since the end of the 19th century. By the mid-1950s, university campuses began to rise in the cities of Senegal, and thousands of African students began to gain knowledge that took on a Francophone guise, a French language, and a French identity.

Long traditions

In the various cities of Senegal, there are multiple traditions, perhaps the most famous of which are the elitist and populist traditions coexisting in the city of Sinloi, or “Ander.” It was the most important Senegalese city during the colonial period, as it was the capital of all of the West African colonies.

One of the most prominent of these customs is the evening walk after the afternoon prayer, where some of the people of Ender, especially the elderly, go out on a quiet “walk” with monotonous steps, as part of a traditional ritual called “circumcision,” during which new news, jokes, wisdom, and anecdotes are shared.

In the city of Inder, which has a long history, a civilization arose that strongly blended the language of the Qur’an with the knowledge of the people of Senegal, and large scholarly families belonged to it, such as the “Ibn al-Miqdad family,” who were known for their glorious history in science and literature. Among their most famous figures was the translator, the Arab poet “Doud Sik,” known to the Mauritanians. In the name of “Muhammad Ould Ibn al-Miqdad,” as well as his brothers, Judges Suleiman and Ainin, who left famous scholarly imprints during the last century, and their Hajj and visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque was a milestone recorded by the praises and congratulations of their northern neighbors from the poets of Mauritania.

One of the beaches of the historic city of Saint Louis in Senegal (Anatolia)

Ender is also considered the capital of Senegal's famous “Tibogen” meal (rice with fish). Thousands of fishermen also reside in Ender, in the “Cut Ender” area, where they throw their nets into the waves and offer sacrifices to the “Queen of the Sea” before broadcasting their complaints about the stinginess of the fish. Al-Zakher, and the strength of the border separating them from the fish habitats on the Mauritanian bank.

Senegalese civilization is generally associated with the river and water, and it is said that the name Senegal is nothing but a corruption of the phrase “Songgal,” meaning these are our boats. This was the phrase that was the first Senegalese answer to the question of the white expatriate as he landed his boats on the bank, to ask what these are, and the answer came, “So Negal.” Among them is the beginning of a new African history whose story has not yet finished.

Minarets and sheikhs... hymns, rituals and sanctification

Dakar Airport, which is considered one of its most important tourist attractions, is about 50 kilometers from the city center, and the fare to it is relatively expensive, amounting to about 30,000 West African francs, or about 50 dollars. Although the road is fast, the queues to pay road fees, with the weather temperature sometimes double. The distance is long, and opens the door to endless crowding in the capital, which hosts nearly a third of Senegal's population.

Taxis inside the capital are yellow, and most of them are old and worn out, without air conditioning. Many drivers wear amulets and talismans around their necks, and on most of the cars pictures of the sheikhs and leaders of Sufi orders in the country appear. These “sacred” pictures are also erected on shops and on the roads, where they are popular. Sheikhs in Senegal are held in high esteem that sometimes exceeds the level of reverence.

Taxis in the Senegalese capital, Dakar (Al Jazeera)

There are many Sufi orders spread in Senegal - with a population of about 16 million people, the most important of which in general is the Muridiya order, as pictures of its founder, Sheikh Ahmadou Bembe, are spread in most cities, and even on many publications in Senegal, and the presence of the Tijaniya order with its many branches is no less present. About appearing pictures on shirts and incantations on armrests.

Senegalese cities are distinguished by the abundance of their mosques, their cleanliness, and the similarity of their designs, especially those mosques belonging to the Tijaniya Ibrahimi order, which have green domes and minarets.

Masalik Al-Jinan Mosque in the capital, Dakar, is the largest mosque in West Africa (Anatolia)

Islam in Senegal dates back a long time ago, and Senegalese historians believe that the first gathering of the famous “Almoravids” movement in the Islamic West was in the city of Saint Louis, while their Mauritanian neighbors say that the leader Abdullah bin Yassin Al-Jazouli established his first group near Tidra Island, northwest of the capital. Nouakchott.

What the two parties do not disagree on is the depth and influence of Islam on Senegalese society, and that its Sufi guise has given it an unmistakable festive phenomenon, as activities, shrines, and religious events abound that commemorate the occultation of this imam, the death of that sheikh, his crossing of the sea, or other seasons and occasions. Which organizes Sufi affiliation and generates great economic mobility.

The conversion of the kings of the Senegalese sects to Islam had a fundamental role in consolidating it and extending its reach, as the Senegalese historian and researcher Muhammad Said Bah believes that the conversion of the king of the country of Takrur, War Jabi bin Rabis Angai (d. 1041 AD), to Islam, was a fundamental change in the history of the Senegal River Basin region, especially since some The Almoravid leaders were fused to this king, forming what is known in the literature of the history of the Senegal River region, the Sudanese faction in the Almoravid army.

However, Islam was greatly established in that region by the caravans of Mauritanian merchants and scholars who flocked to Senegal several centuries ago, and left influential imprints on the lives of the people. With time, Islam turned into an influential political force in the region, especially with the emergence of the state of the Imams, which extended its reach along the West Bank. The Senegal River, and established major conquests, and entered into long-standing internecine conflicts in the region. In addition, the imams and followers of Sufi orders were among the largest and most important resistance to French colonialism, and it was on their influence that the French focused their besiegement and harassment.

The imams stood against the slavery trade and the aggression of the sultans against their people, and over time they became important and influential authorities in Senegal, as is the case now, where politics and religion share influence in Senegal, and the clerics distance themselves from delving into the daily politics, just as politicians distance themselves from criticizing the discourse. The prevailing religion, and each of the two parties has a direction that it is the guardian of, and that brings it influence, money, and influence sufficient to suffice it to compete with the other.

One of the markets of the Senegalese capital, Dakar (Al Jazeera)

Senegal...the strongest stronghold of Francophonie

The Senegalese Francophones give no less attention to the French language than France itself. The language of Gaul has become the language of the Senegalese people, the voice of its administration, and the voice of its education. Indeed, according to the fanatics of Voltaire’s language, Senegal cannot be imagined without the French language, and it seems impossible to speak in Senegal in anything other than French. Or the Wolof dialect, the two languages ​​were intertwined and became the eternal voice of Senegal.

The Senegalese represent part of the French societal fabric due to the huge numbers of immigrants there, and Dakar until recently held the nickname “Little Paris” among Africans.

Senegalese writers compete in presenting their literature in the French language, and they are proud that the first president of their country, Léopold Sédar Senghor, became an encyclopedist in the French language to the degree of professor in it and even became one of its references for the white French in their country.

Despite the entrenchment of Arabization in Senegal, it is still under the shadow of Francophonie, and in its grip, and the official presence it achieved was only the result of a long struggle, which was met with a relative and late Francophone openness and as a result of the pressure of reality towards Arabic, which represents the “tongue of religion” in Senegal. Doors to economic relations with the Arab world, to which Senegal does not consider itself a “stranger.”

The Terenga Lions...the predators of Senegalese football

The name of Senegal is also linked to something close to legend. The name of the country’s national football team, the Terenga Lions, also opens the door to multiple possibilities, and among Senegalese it is often interpreted as indicating a welcome to guests, good hospitality or generosity, even though these two qualities were never two qualities of a person. Characteristics of lions. Indeed, ferocity and lethality were and still are the most prominent things that define the prestige of lions in the souls, according to what Al-Mutanabbi believes:

The lion does not benefit from modesty... and do not be feared until you become predatory.

Senegal national football team (Reuters)

Because the “Trenga Lions” were first in strength, extremely powerful, and ferocious, they created a part of Senegal’s reputation in the world, through the size of the tournaments in which the Senegalese team participated, in addition to the reputation of elements of the Senegalese players and their international influence.

Football is an essential part of the interest of Senegalese, as they play it with passion and enthusiasm, in squares and between homes.

Between Senegalese homes, women sprinkle showers of water every morning, the streets are filled with beggars, and “white” alms pour from the hands of passers-by, before the morning sun rises and the brown clamor erupts into immortal productive intensity.

Source: Al Jazeera + websites