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This series of photos is from the former capital city of Côte d'Ivoire: Grand-Bassam
When the territory became a French colony in 1843, Grand-Bassam was the first Ivorian capital. It was built on a narrow peninsula, with the Atlantic Ocean to the south and a grand lagoon to the north. Everpresent, of course, were the local inhabitants and their fishing villages.
Grand Bassam was the capital from 1843 until 1900 when the cramped quarters on the penninsula and a terrible yellow fever outbreak moved the capital to Bingerville. Evidence of Grand-Bassam s colonial life still exist today. This is a picture of the old colonial home that once served as the presidents home and now serves as a museum.
The old colonial homes of Grand-Bassam have been left to decay over the past 90 years as seen in this picture.
Another decaying colonial building. In recent years, there has been an effort to restore a few of the buildings in Grand-Bassam ... such as this one.
Grand-Bassam has become a favorite shopping and relaxing center for visitors from Abidjan. The ocean side beach is lined with restaurants offering outdoor seating and swimming pools. Here we are at one popular restaurant on the south side of Grand-Bassam.