The Boké Prefectural Museum (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Musée Préfectoral de Boké'') is a regional museum located in

Boké Prefecture Boké is a prefecture located in the Boké Region of Guinea. The capital is Boké. The prefecture covers an area of 11,124 km2 and has a population of 449,405. It contains several economically important areas of the country, including those e ...

, in the

Boké Region Boké Region () is located in western Guinea. It is bordered by the countries of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau and the Guinean regions of Kindia and Labé. Its capital is the city of Boké. Administrative divisions Boké Region is divided into ...

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

. Inaugurated in 1982, it is housed in a small

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

constructed in 1878.

History

Prior to being restored as a museum, the Boké Fort was the location of the incarceration of two

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

s: Alfa Yaya of

Labé Labé ( Pular: 𞤂𞤢𞤦𞤫) is the main city and administrative capital of the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea. It has a population of about 200,000. It is the second largest city in the country after the capital Conakry in terms of economic i ...

and Dinah Salifou, the last king of the

Nalu people The Nalu, also called Nalo, Nanum, or Nanu, are a West African ethnic group found in Guinea and Guinea Bissau. They speak the Nalu language. They have been described as "pre-Mandingas", as they settled in the region before the arrival of the Ma ...

. In 1971, the fort was transformed into a museum by Ahmed Sekou Touré, then restored in 1982 by the Friends of the Museum Association.

Collections

The Boké museum has a collection of objects from the different cultures and ethnic groups of the region: Baga objects such as communication tom-toms, drums for the initiation of women, the baga serpent for the initiation of boys, guinzes “

toma Toma or TOMA may refer to: Places *Toma, Burkina Faso, a town in Nayala province * Toma Department, a department in Nayala province *Toma, Banwa, Burkina Faso, a town * Tōma, Hokkaidō, Japan, a town **Tōma Station, its railway station *Toma, a ...

currency A currency is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general definition is that a currency is a ''system of money'' in common use within a specific envi ...

” and nimba

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...

s, symbols of fertility. In the basement of the museum there are also some cells where prisoners were held.

References

Museums in Africa Buildings and structures in Guinea {{Guinea-museum-stub