Rwanda: the capital of Kigali, its description, history and sights

Speaking of which city is the capital of Rwanda, it should be noted that Kigali has such a status for only a little over sixty years. In general, this administrative center can be called a reflection of the whole state. The fact is that the local layout and buildings are no different from other cities and towns located on the territory of the country. Whatever it was, Kigali is a major metropolis, even by European standards, because it is home to more than one million people.

Short story

In 1890, along with Burundi, the country of Rwanda became the German colony. Its capital was founded seventeen years later. Initially, it was the residence of the colonial government of Germany. In 1921, Rwanda became the property of Belgium, whose independence was proclaimed in 1962. After that the city began to develop rapidly, from year to year gaining more political and cultural significance not only for the region of its location, but for the entire state of Rwanda. The capital also experienced a great tragedy. In particular, in 1994 the city became the epicenter of genocide, because of which more than one million inhabitants of the country, and more specifically the Hutu and Tutsi peoples, died.

general description

Kigali is located in the heart of Rwanda. It is noteworthy that as of 1946 there lived less than six thousand inhabitants. Currently, the city's population exceeded the mark of one million people. The capital of Rwanda is interesting because it is dominated by one-story residential buildings. In this regard, it is not surprising that the city has spread for tens of kilometers along the curved slopes of a mountain valley. Because of this, it is unrealistic to see Kigali entirely.

Government and administrative institutions, along with the largest political institutions and the richest houses, are located on a hill. Not far from the city is the international airport of Camebel. In the vicinity you can see large coffee plantations. With its mild climate, calm atmosphere and friendly people, the capital of Rwanda attracts a large number of tourists every year. In this regard, Kigali boasts a good choice of hotels, restaurants and bars. As in the whole country, the streets here are pretty clean.

Transport and housing

The most accessible way to travel around Kigali can be called a minibus. As in our country, the destination in them is indicated on the windshield. They are plying both in intracity communication, and between settlements. The next most expensive form of transport is mototaxi. Its only drawback is that it only carries one person. On the other hand, after paying a few dollars, you can drive through half the town. Mototax drivers are always dressed in green vests and helmets, which are also offered to the passenger. The most expensive form of transport in Kigali is a taxi, which can be ordered by phone or stopped on the street. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that there are no meters in the cars, so when you see a foreigner, the driver probably overstates the price. Thus, we can say that the capital of Rwanda is a rather expensive city in terms of transport.

As for housing, the situation here is similar. One place in a hostel in a room for eight people will cost an average of 20 US dollars, while a hotel room costs about $ 150.

sights

In terms of availability of attractions, the capital of Rwanda is by no means the most interesting city. This is a convenient starting point for trips to the three national parks of the country (Akager, Nyungwe and Volcanoes National Park). As for Kigali itself, the main local attractions are the Museum of Natural History named after Dr. Richard Kandt (since 1897, this man was looking for sources of the Nile River here ) and the National Museum located in the building of the former presidential palace. In addition to this, tourists quite willingly visit the ancient quarter of Nyamiraža, where you can get to know the everyday life of the local population, as well as several galleries and centers of folk craft and art.

The Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, dedicated to the tragic events of 1994, deserves special mention. Then, in just a hundred days, during the conflict between two ethnic groups (Hutus and Tutsis), more than one million inhabitants of the country were killed. It is noteworthy that around 8 million people lived in the whole country at that time. The capital of Rwanda has become the epicenter of those events. The building of the center was erected on the burial place of more than 250 thousand people, exterminated then. Inside there are many photos of the children who died from machete, therefore it is not recommended to go inside tourists with weak nerves.