Touba

At Touba can be found what I think is the most beautiful mosque in Senegal. This mosque was the center of the most fanatical sect of Moslems in the country. During my stay in Senegal, the grand imam (the religious leader of the sect) died. Official sources tried to suppress the announcement of his death because, I was told, it was widely believed that in the forty-eight hours immediately following the death of the grand imam, the gates of heaven were open to receive him and anyone else who died during that time. Therefore, officials feared that if the population learned of the death of the imam, there would be a rash of suicides from people trying to get into heaven!

Since women were not allowed in the mosque (at least not in the main part of the mosque), I was forced to take the picture of the interior from the doorway. Women were obliged to remain in the rear of the mosque while the men worshipped in the front.