Fort de Medine, Kayes

The French governor of Sénégal, Louis Faidherbe, built a fort at Médine in 1855 to reinforce French control over the Sénégal River and serve as a platform for development into the interior. Two years later, in 1857, the Toucouleur forces under al-Hjj Umar Taal unsuccessfully besieged French colonial soldiers under Faidherbe in the Siege of the Fort de Médine.

The Malian government nominated the Médine Fort to the UNESCO World Cultural Centre's tentative list of heritage sites on March 19, 2009. Today, it is considered as one of the most beautiful historical sites in Mali. The public is welcome to visit the Fort du Médine. A 2 km west of the settlement is a historic train station on the Dakar-Koulikoro line, as well as a European-style cemetery with mid-nineteenth-century tombs. The population of the village is estimated to be around 1800 people, and there is a small market held every day.

Location : Medine, Mali