Amadou Bamba, the founder of the Murid sect of Muslims, established his headquarters at Touba. He is buried here (died1927), and today the city is dominated by a large mosque. The Murids are one of the largest Muslim sects, and are influential in government and commerce though out West Africa. Bamba's image is found on buildings and busses throughout Senegal. The mosque, covered in white marble, with five narrow minarets, would look appropriate in Arabia, but seems strangely out of place in Senegal.
We were greeted at the outskirts of the city by police, who explained all the rules of dress and behavior. Pretty much the same rules that would apply to entering a mosque apply to the entire city. Though the rules are loose when compared to the observant parts of the mid-east, women are still expected to cover just about everything but their face, and men must wear long pants and (I learned) remove their baseball caps. Needless to say, alcohol is verboten.
The mosque was closed in preparation for a large festival in March, so we couldn't go inside. There was plenty else to see, though. We visited libraries, ceremonial rooms, and tombs. We drank from a sacred well.
Touba