How far is Yamoussoukro from Abidjan?

240 kilometres, three to four hours on the A3 motorway. A small car is sufficient.

Can you visit the basilica in Yamoussoukro?

Yes, with a guided tour, usually in French. Shoulders and knees should be covered as it is an active church.

Is the Yamoussoukro basilica the largest church in the world?

It is among the largest. Consecrated in 1990, its dome is modelled on St Peter’s in Rome.

Why is Yamoussoukro the capital of Ivory Coast?

It was the birthplace of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who had it rebuilt and declared it the political capital in 1983. Most government business remains in Abidjan.

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Yamoussoukro: the basilica and a capital built from nothing.

Yamoussoukro is the political capital and one of the strangest places in West Africa: six-lane boulevards with no traffic, a presidential palace with crocodiles in the moat, and in the middle of the savanna one of the largest churches in the world. Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the country’s founding president, had his birthplace rebuilt as the capital. The result has to be seen. 240 kilometres from Abidjan, reachable in a morning on the motorway.

Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

Bring suitable clothing

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is an active church and is visited as one: shoulders and knees covered, no hats for men. Photography inside is usually permitted but without flash or tripod. Tours run in French, occasionally in English. Early afternoon is the best time, when the sun comes through the glass.