Tivaouane
Encyclopedia
History
Tivaouane was part of the Wolof kingdom of CayorCayor
The Kingdom of Cayor was the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Empire of Jolof , in what is now Senegal. Cayor was located in north and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom of Jolof and north of Baol and the Kingdom of Sine.In 1549, the king, or...
, and was at one time its capital. It was first described to Europeans in the 15th century by Venitian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
explorer Luigi Cada-Mosto.
In 1904, it was the fifth largest city in Sénégal after Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis, Senegal
Saint-Louis, or Ndar as it is called in Wolof, is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and 320 km north of Senegal's capital city Dakar, it has a population officially estimated at 176,000 in 2005. Saint-Louis...
, Dakar, Rufisque
Rufisque
Rufisque is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula. It has a population of 179,797 . In the past it was an important port city in its own right, but is now a suburb of Dakar....
and Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
.
It is also the capital of the Tijaniyya Sufi brotherhood. Each week, followers come to visit the tombs of religious leaders, especially that of El-Hadji Malick Sy
Malick Sy
El-Hadji Malick Sy was a Senegalese religious leader and teacher in the Tijaniyya Sufi brotherhood.-Life:Born in Gaya to a Fulani family, El-Hadji Malick Sy traveled to Mauritania, then to Saint-Louis, Senegal in 1884 as a religious student...
. Visitors flock each year to celebrate the birth of the prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
in a festival called the Maouloud
Mawlid
Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...
(or Gamou, in Wolof
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
).
The influence of the Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
This is a list of Muslim groups in Senegal . They are active Muslim organizations that can also be found in many other parts of Africa and the Islamic world.The three largest are:...
helps to explain the dramatic demographic growth of the city, which had a population of less than 7900 in 1960.
In 2003, the mausoleum of El-Hadji Malick Sy, the mosque of Serigne Babacar Sy and the railway station were added to the list of Senegalese historic monuments.
Administration
Tivaouane is the capital of the Tivaouane DepartmentTivaouane Department
' is one of the departments of Senegal, located in the Thiès Region. Its capital is Tivaouane....
in the région de Thiès
Thiès Region
-Administrative divisions:Thiès is divided in 3 departments , 11 communes, 10 arrondissements, and 31 communautés rurales.-Departments:The departments of Thies region are:*M'bour*Thiès*Tivaoune-Communes:In Thiès:*Pout*Khombole...
.
Geography
Tivaouane is a regional transport hub, where the route nationale n° 2 connecting DakarDakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
and Saint-Louis passes near Thiès
Thiès
Thiès is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and St-Louis...
.
The nearest small towns are Yendam, Keur Massamba Daguene, Selko, Ndiagane, Keur Assane, Ndiassane et Sintiou Pir.
Population
Between the censue of 1988 and 2002, Tivaouane grew from 27,117 to 38,213 inhabitants.In 2007, according to official estimates, the population has grown to 39,766, which makes it the 15th largest city in Senegal.
Wolofs
Wolof people
The Wolof are an ethnic group found in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania.In Senegal, the Wolof form an ethnic plurality with about 43.3% of the population are Wolofs...
are the largest ethnic group in the area.
Economy
Tivaouane is in an agricultural region, at the heart of the bassin arachidier of Arachide oil (Peanut oil) production.Catering to religious gatherings and celebrations also plays a great role in the economy.