Serekunda (proper: Sayerr Kunda or Sere Kunda, ar, سيريكوندا, sometimes spelled Serrekunda) is the largest urban centre in
The Gambia.
It is situated close to the
Atlantic coast, south-west of the capital,
,
and is formed of nine villages which have grown together into a larger urban area.
History and toponymy
Sayerr Jobe, the founder of Serekunda, was a 19th-century
lamane originally from the
Sine-Saloum region of
Senegal. He migrated to the
Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
in the mid 19th Century and is believed to have initially settled around Jinack Island in
, before relocating to the southern bank of the country (near
Sukuta) where he established Serrekunda.
Serekunda means "home of the Sayer
r Sayerr
R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars'', or in Irelan ...
family" and is named after its founder,
Sayerr Jobe.
[ The name ''Serrekunda'' (or "Sere Kunda") is a ]Mandinka Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to:
Media
* ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957
* ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel
* ''Mandingo (play)'', a play by Jack Kir ...
corruption of the name ''Serrereh'' — denoting the Serer people
The Serer people are a West African ethnoreligious group. in Mandinka, as the Mandinka people
The Mandinka or Malinke are a West African ethnic group primarily found in southern Mali, the Gambia and eastern Guinea. Numbering about 11 million, they are the largest subgroup of the Mandé peoples and one of the largest ethnic-linguistic gro ...
of Sabiji believed that Sayerr Jobe (the founder of Sererkunda[Briggs, Philip; Fenton, Simon; ''The Gambia'', Bradt Travel Guides (2017), p. 103,]
/ref>) and his brother Massamba Koki Jobe/Diop (relative of Lat Dior - King of Cayor and Baol
The Kingdom of Baol or Bawol in central Senegal was one of the kingdoms that arose from the split-up of the Empire of Jolof (Diolof) in 1555. The ruler ( Teigne or Teen) reigned from a capital in Diourbel.
The Kingdom encompassed a strip of la ...
) and the Jobe family in general were members of the Wolof ethnic group.[Sarr, Assan, ''Islam, Power, and Dependency in the Gambia River Basin: The Politics of Land Control, 1790-1940'', ]Boydell & Brewer
Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, edition ...
(2016), pp. 64–95, 176,
/ref> Although born in Serer country, and possessed the Serer title '' lamane'', he was not of Serer origin, but of Lebou people, Lebou origin, as ''Jobe'' or ''Diop'' is a Lebou surname.
Population history
Districts or suburbs
The following districts form part of Serekunda:
# Bakoteh
# Bunungka Kunda
# Dippa Kunda
# Eboe Town
# Faji Kunda
#London Corner
London Corner is a suburb of Serekunda, the biggest city in the Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoar ...
#New Jeshwang
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
# Old Jeshwang
#Kololi
Kololi is a resort town on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface ar ...
# Kotu
# Latri Kunda
# Latri Kunda Sabiji
# Manjai Kunda
# Serekunda District
# Talinding Kunjang
# Churchill's Town
Gallery
File:Gambia 001 from KG.jpg
File:Gambia Serekunda world66-2.jpg
File:Gambia-mosque.JPG
File:BundungMosque.jpg, Mosque on Bundung Highway
File:Gambia Serekunda 0008.jpg
File:Gambia Serekunda 0001.jpg
References
External links
Hotels, Photos and Maps for Serekunda
Populated places in the Gambia
Serer country
{{Gambia-geo-stub