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Breathtaking beaches, Sky scrapers dotting the lagoon, exotic villas, expansive restaurants, bustling population and demeanor at par with any city from Europe or America; welcome it’s Abidjan the economic capital of Cote D’Ivoire. As you land you a cool tropical breeze wishpers "Bonjour" in your ears at the Airport.Sky littered with small clouds and omni-present greenery mesmerizes everyone especially first time visitors. You wonder by stroke of luck or some misunderstanding by the airline, you have landed in some European city. That’s why a French Travel guide cautioned travelers that if you are looking for an African city go elsewhere not to Abidjan.
After being charmed by intoxicating beauty of Abidjan’s suburbs, there are more surprises awaiting for you while ply through. Even a person with a primitive knowledge of Ivorian Civil wars will be perplexed by the resilience of the population. Shadows and horrors of civil wars don’t haunt people in Abidjan nowadays. For a foreigner It seems as if people are living oblivious of civil wars (if there is any). Audis, BMWs, Merecedes, Peugoets, Renaults and many more brand new autos are cruising across the city. Neat and clean roads surrounded by exotic art of woodworks is common sight in the city.
Just a Little Bit of (boring) History
Abidjan is everything accept being capital for Cote D’Ivoire. It lies along the Ébrié Lagoon, which is separated from the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic by the Vridi Plage sandbar. A French mission was established in 1637 Assinie. In 1896 after serious attacks by yellow fever pandemic earliest settlers from France decided to abandon Bassam Port and move towards safer place near Ebrie Lagoon. A small size village in 1898 became a town in 1903. It succeeded Bingerville as capital of the French colony in 1934 and retained that position after independence in 1960. It lost status of capital in 1983 when birthplace of Félix Houphouët-Boigny , Yamoussoukro was chosen as capital. Abidjan’s population has increased from meager 50,000 in 1948 to 5 Millions in 2006.
Lebanese immigrants can be seen everywhere in Abidjan whether it be a Restaurant, Bar or Mega Shopping Mall like Hayat. Chris Bierwirth described the Lebanese community in Cote D’Ivoire as “The Lebanese diaspora in Côte d'Ivoire is divided into two distinct communities: the established families, or durables, which have been in the country for two or three generations, and the relative newcomers, or nouveaux, who have arrived in the country in the last two decades and have little or no connection to the durables. Because of these divisions, and because of their status as a visible minority, the Lebanese have been politically and socially marginalized. They remain vulnerable to political pressure and manipulation, and find themselves unable—and unwilling— to assimilate to Ivoirian society” (THE LEBANESE COMMUNITIES OF CÔTE D'IVOIRE, African Affairs 1999).
Places of Interest
In an article by Kenneth B Noble for New York Times he said ” It is the intellectual and cultural capital of West Africa, and any visitor with the better part of a day to spend can usually find a good slice of what's young and upcoming in Africa. For those with more time, it is possible to dine out virtually every night for six months and never enter the same restaurant twice”(New York Times 9 August 1992).
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| Saint Paul's Cathedral |
It catches your sight right from the time you enter the city. Visible from quite a distance, it looks like a citadel overlooking the city. It was designed by the Italian Aldo Spiritom, is the bold and innovative design. The tower is a huge stylised figure of St Paul the apostle. A marvellous piece of architecture.
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