Bouar

Central African town near Cameroon, noted for ancient granite megaliths in surrounding grasslands.

Located close to the major border crossing with Cameroon, Bouar is a common stop for overland travellers passing through the Central African Republic. The town is a bit run down, but thanks to its altitude — around 1,000 metres — the climate is more pleasant than in the lowlands.

The main reason to linger is the megaliths. Scattered across the surrounding grasslands are curious granite standing stones weighing up to four tonnes, some dating back over 5,000 years. The site at Bouar is one of the most significant megalithic complexes in Central Africa, though it remains almost entirely unvisited.

Guide

Things to Do

Almost nobody comes to Bouar as a destination. Most travellers are passing through on the overland route between Cameroon and Bangui and stop for the night because Bouar is roughly halfway. What there is to see, however, is genuinely unusual: the Tazunu megaliths, a scattered field of 4-tonne granite standing stones erected by an unknown civilisation more than 5,000 years ago, hidden in the grasslands a short drive outside town. They are among the most significant pre-historic monuments in Central Africa, and almost entirely unvisited.