Touba

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Touba
توبا
Touba 034 (45718877585).jpg
Senegal adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Touba
Location within Senegal
Coordinates: 14°52′N15°53′W / 14.867°N 15.883°W / 14.867; -15.883
CountryFlag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Region Diourbel
Department Mbacké
Government
   Governor Mountakha Mbacké
Elevation
35 m (115 ft)
Population
 (2023 census) [1]
  Total
1,120,824
Time zone UTC±0 (Greenwich Mean Time)

Touba (Hassaniya Arabic: توبا, 'Felicity'; Wolof: Tuubaa) is a city in central Senegal, part of Diourbel Region and Mbacké district. With a population of 1,120,824 [1] in 2023, it is the second most populated Senegalese city after Dakar. It is the holy city of Mouridism and the burial place of its founder, Shaikh Ahmadou Bàmba Mbàcke. Next to his tomb stands a large mosque, completed in 1963.

Contents

Etymology

The origin of the name is not certain and according to the Encyclopaedia of Islam , 'various etymologies have been current for the name', including Arabic tawba ('repentance'). [2] The name is also superficially identical to the name of a tree in Paradise in Islamic tradition, Ṭūbā , and in Sufism, this symbolic tree represents an aspiration for spiritual perfection and closeness to God. But the Encyclopaedia concludes that the name of the place 'most likely stems from a reference to ṭūbā “blessing”'. [2]

History

The city began life as a simple hamlet of the 'Baol'. [2] Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, commonly known as "Cheikh Amadou Bamba" (1853-1927), is said to have led to the ascendance of the settlement to prominence [2] when, in a moment of transcendence under a large tree there, he experienced a cosmic vision of light. In Arabic, ṭūbā means "felicity" or "bliss" and evokes the sweet pleasures of eternal life in the hereafter.

Aamadu Bàmba founded Touba in 1887. The holy site remained a tiny isolated place in the wilderness until his death and burial at the site of the Great Mosque, 40 years later. Along with the neighboring town of Mbacké (founded by Aamadu Bàmba's great-grandfather in 1796), the Mouride conurbation is Senegal's second largest urban area, after the capital region of Dakar.

Ṭūbā is a sacred area, and enjoys a quasi-extraterritoriality within the Republic of Senegal. It is under the sole control of a khalīfa-general, his helpers, and Bāy Fall (a militia of the Mouride order), rather than agents of the Senegalese state. As well as having religious consequences, this has made Touba a free-trade zone; in particular, imports from neighbouring Gambia are exempt there from state taxes. [2] In the assessment of the Encyclopaedia of Islam,

under a very modern apparent exterior, one thus finds an ancient form of Senegalese, indeed, West African, Islamic life: the constituting of “maraboutic villages”, enclaves which bring together the most keen devotees and which, through the force of the charisma of their directors, are able to escape from the exactions, pressures and constraints of the warrior and temporal authorities. [2]

During the Great Magal pilgrimage, official representatives of the Senegalese state make official delegations, recognising the distinctive status of Touba and the Mourides within Senegal. [2]

Geography

Overview

Located in central Senegal, Touba forms an urban agglomeration with the contiguous city of Mbacké.

Climate

Depending on the location of the weather station in Touba, the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies the city's climate either as tropical wet and dry (Aw) or hot semi-arid (BSh).

Climate data for Touba, Senegal (21m)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)31.6
(88.9)
33
(91)
34
(93)
32.9
(91.2)
32.1
(89.8)
31.4
(88.5)
30.5
(86.9)
30
(86)
30.6
(87.1)
31.9
(89.4)
32.4
(90.3)
31.2
(88.2)
31.8
(89.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)23.4
(74.1)
24.4
(75.9)
25.7
(78.3)
25.7
(78.3)
26.3
(79.3)
26.8
(80.2)
26.9
(80.4)
26.5
(79.7)
26.6
(79.9)
27.1
(80.8)
25.9
(78.6)
23.6
(74.5)
25.7
(78.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)15.3
(59.5)
15.9
(60.6)
17.5
(63.5)
18.6
(65.5)
20.5
(68.9)
22.3
(72.1)
23.4
(74.1)
23
(73)
22.7
(72.9)
22.3
(72.1)
19.5
(67.1)
16.1
(61.0)
19.8
(67.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
2
(0.1)
66
(2.6)
234
(9.2)
382
(15.0)
259
(10.2)
75
(3.0)
2
(0.1)
1
(0.0)
1,021
(40.2)
Source: Climate-Data.org [3]
Climate data for Touba, Senegal (48m)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)32.5
(90.5)
34.2
(93.6)
36.3
(97.3)
37.5
(99.5)
38.1
(100.6)
36.7
(98.1)
33.7
(92.7)
32.3
(90.1)
32.5
(90.5)
34.9
(94.8)
35.4
(95.7)
32.3
(90.1)
34.7
(94.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)23.4
(74.1)
24.5
(76.1)
26.6
(79.9)
27.8
(82.0)
28.9
(84.0)
29.4
(84.9)
28.2
(82.8)
27.3
(81.1)
27.2
(81.0)
27.8
(82.0)
26.6
(79.9)
23.6
(74.5)
26.8
(80.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)14.3
(57.7)
14.8
(58.6)
17
(63)
18.2
(64.8)
19.8
(67.6)
22.2
(72.0)
22.7
(72.9)
22.4
(72.3)
22
(72)
20.8
(69.4)
17.9
(64.2)
15
(59)
18.9
(66.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)1
(0.0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
1
(0.0)
30
(1.2)
105
(4.1)
176
(6.9)
139
(5.5)
35
(1.4)
1
(0.0)
1
(0.0)
489
(19.1)
Source: Climate-Data.org [4]

Mouridism

Touba is the holy city of Mouridism. Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, Senegal's most famous Sufi, was more than a spiritual master; he had a social mission as well, that of rescuing society from colonial alienation and returning it to the "Straight Path" of Islam. The city of Touba played a major role in both these endeavors.

Life in Touba is dominated by Muslim practice and Islamic scholarship. A major annual pilgrimage, called the Grand Magal of Touba, attracts around two million people from all over Senegal and beyond, [2] principally Mourides, from as far away as Europe and America. Other, minor pilgrimages occur throughout the year.

For Mourides, Touba is a sacred place. Forbidden in the holy city are all illicit and frivolous pursuits, such as the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The Mouride order controls its "capital" to the exclusion of usual state-run civil and administrative services. The city constitutes an administratively autonomous zone with special legal status within Senegal. Every aspect of its city's life and growth is managed by the order independently of the state, including education, health, supply of drinking water, public works, administration of markets, land tenure, and real estate development.

Great Mosque

Interior of the Great Mosque of Touba Touba moschee2.jpg
Interior of the Great Mosque of Touba

At the heart of the Mouride holy city lies its Great Mosque, purported to be one of the largest in Africa. Since its completion in 1963 it has been continuously enlarged and embellished. The mosque has five minarets and three large domes and is the place where Amadou Bamba, founder of the Mouride brotherhood, lies buried. The mosque's 87-meter (285 ft) high central minaret, called Lamp Fall, is one of Senegal's most famous monuments. The name Lamp Fall is a reference to Sheikh Ibrahima Fall, one of Bamba's most influential disciples. The mosque is frequently visited by tourists and worshippers alike.

The immediate vicinity of the mosque houses the mausolea of Aamadu Bàmba's sons, the caliphs of the Mouride order. Other important institutions in the center of the holy city include a library, the Caliph's official audience hall, a sacred "Well of Mercy", and a cemetery. Serigne Mountakha Mbacké is the current leader of the Mourides. He is the eighth Caliph of Mouridism and is the third caliph to not be a son of Ahmadu Bamba Mbacké. Like his predecessors, he resides in a large compound on the main square facing the Mosque.

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mouride</span> Sufi mystic order in Sunni Islam

The Mouride brotherhood is a large tariqa most prominent in Senegal and The Gambia with headquarters in the city of Touba, which is a holy city for the order. Adherents are called Mourides, from the Arabic word murīd, a term used generally in Sufism to designate a disciple of a spiritual guide.The beliefs and practices of the Mourides constitute Mouridism. Mouride disciples call themselves taalibé in Wolof and must undergo a ritual of allegiance called njebbel, as it is considered highly important to have a sheikh "spiritual guide" in order to become a Mouride. The Mouride brotherhood was founded in 1883 in Senegal by Amadou Bamba. The Mouride make up around 40 percent of the total population, and their influence over everyday life can be seen throughout Senegal.

This is a list of Sufi orders (Tariqas) in Senegal and the Gambia. They are active Muslim organizations that can also be found in many other parts of Africa and the Islamic world. Their members are mainly Wolofs, Fulas and Tocouleurs.

A marabout is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and a Muslim religious leader and teacher who historically had the function of a chaplain serving as a part of an Islamic army, notably in North Africa and the Sahara, in West Africa, and (historically) in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids ("Guides"), or leaders of religious communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amadou Bamba</span> Senegalese Sufi leader (1853–1927)

Ahmadu Bamba Mbacke also known to followers as the Servant of the Messenger and Serigne Touba or "Sheikh of Touba", was a Sufi saint and religious leader in Senegal and the founder of the large Mouride Brotherhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serigne Saliou Mbacké</span>

Serigne Saliou Mbacké was a saint (Wali) and Grand Marabout (leader) of the Mouride movement in Senegal from 1990 until his death in 2007.

Mbacké is a city and urban commune in central Senegal, located 190 km (118 mi) east of Dakar. It is the capital of an administrative department in the Diourbel region. Along with the nearby city of Touba, Mbacké forms an urban conurbation whose population currently stands at 1,222,275, making it Senegal's second largest agglomeration. It is connected to Dakar and Touba by the N3 road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Senegal</span>

Islam is the predominant religion in Senegal. 97 percent of the country's population is estimated to be Muslim. Islam has had a presence in Senegal since the 11th century. Sufi brotherhoods expanded with French colonization, as people turned to religious authority rather than the colonial administration. The main Sufi orders are the Tijaniyyah, the Muridiyyah or Mourides, and to a lesser extent, the pan-Islamic Qadiriyyah and the smaller Layene order. Approximately 1% are Shiites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibrahima Fall</span> Senegalese Sufi

Sheikh Ibrahima Fall (1855–1930) was a disciple of Sheikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, founder of the Mouride Brotherhood movement in West Africa. Well known in the Mouride Brotherhood, Ibrahima Fall established the influential Baye Fall movement.

El Hadji Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacké, or Sheikh Bara Mbacké was the Grand Marabout of the Mouride movement in Senegal from 2007 until his death in 2010. The movement is prominent outside Senegal as well, in places such as New York, Paris and Rome.

<i>Café Touba</i> Coffee drink flavored with grains of Selim

Café Touba is a coffee beverage that is a popular traditional drink from Senegal that is also consumed in Guinea-Bissau, and is named for the city of Touba, Senegal.

Religion and beliefs occupy an important place in the daily life of the nation of Senegal. The majority of citizens follow Islam. In 2013, 6% of the population followed indigenous beliefs, while 2% followed Christianity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Mosque of Touba</span> Mosque in Touba, Diourbel, Senegal

The Great Mosque of Touba is a mosque in Touba, Senegal. It was founded by Ahmad Bamba in 1887 and completed in 1963. Bamba died in 1927 and was interred inside the mosque. Since his death the mosque has been controlled by his family. It is the largest building in the city and one of the largest mosques in Africa, with a capacity of 7,000. It is the site of a pilgrimage, the Grand Magal of Touba.

Mame Diarra Bousso (1833–1866) is a Sufi saint from Senegal. The annual pilgrimage to the site of her death and mausoleum is the only pilgrimage dedicated to a woman in Senegal. She was the mother of Amadou Bamba.

The Grand Magal of Touba is the annual religious pilgrimage of the Senegalese Mouride Brotherhood, one of the four Islamic Sufi orders of Senegal. On the 18th of Safar, the second month of the Islamic calendar, pilgrims gather in the holy Mouride city of Touba to celebrate the life and teachings of Amadou Bamba, the founder of the brotherhood.

Serigne Sidi Moukhtar Mbacké was a Senegalese religious leader. He served as the Caliph of the Mouride movement, a large Sufi order based in Senegal, from 1 July 2010 until his death on 9 January 2018.

Serigne Mouhamadou Moustapha Mbacké was a Senegalese religious leader. He served as the first Caliph of the Mouride brotherhood, a large Sufi order based in Senegal, from 1927 until his death on July 13, 1945. He was the first son of Sufi saint and religious leader Sheikh Amadou Bamba.

Serigne Mouhamadou Fallou Mbacké was a Senegalese religious leader. He served as the second Caliph of the Mouride brotherhood, a large Sufi order based in Senegal, from 1945 until his death in 1968. He was the son of Sufi saint and religious leader Sheikh Amadou Bamba.

Serigne Abdou Ahad Mbacké was a Senegalese religious leader. He served as the third Caliph of the Mouride brotherhood, a large Sufi order based in Senegal, from 1968 until his death in 1989. He was the son of Sufi saint and religious leader Sheikh Amadou Bamba.

Serigne Abdou Khadr Mbacké was a Senegalese religious leader. He served as the fourth Caliph of the Mouride brotherhood, a large Sufi order based in Senegal, from 1989 until his death in 1990. He was the son of Sufi saint and religious leader Sheikh Amadou Bamba.

Porokhane is a town and commune near Nioro du Rip in Paoskoto Arrondissement, Kaolack Region, Senegal. It is a major pilgrimage site for the Mourides of Senegal.

References

  1. 1 2 Citypopulation.de Population of the major cities in Senegal
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 J. L. Triaud, 'Ṭūbā', in Encyclopaedia of Islam, ed. by P. Bearman and others, 2nd edn (Leiden: Brill, 1954–2005), doi : 10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_7599; ISBN   9789004161214.
  3. "Touba - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  4. "Touba - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 2014-11-17.

14°52′N15°53′W / 14.867°N 15.883°W / 14.867; -15.883