Senegalese transport city east of Dakar, known for its national tapestry atelier and railway history.
Thiès is Senegal's third-largest city, about 70 km east of Dakar on the main road and rail line to the interior. It is an important transport and commercial hub, but it also has a distinct cultural identity — most travellers pass through it without stopping, which is a mistake.
The Manufacture Nationale de Tapisseries is the most compelling reason to stop: a working atelier where weavers translate paintings by African artists into monumental tapestries. It is unique in West Africa and one of the most interesting craft institutions on the continent. The Musée Régional is small but worthwhile for context on the Thiès region and its peoples.
Thiès also has a remarkable historical weight: its railway station was the nerve centre of the 1947 railway workers' strike that Ousmane Sembène immortalised in God's Bits of Wood — one of the foundational events of Senegalese political consciousness. The central market is lively and one of the best cloth markets in the country. The city makes a practical base for visiting the Bandia Wildlife Reserve and the Lac Rose (Pink Lake) area.
Guide
Books
God's Bits of Wood by Ousmane Sembène (1960) — The essential book for anyone visiting Thiès. Sembène's novel chronicles the five-month railway workers' strike of 1947 along the Dakar–Niger line, with Thiès as one of the three main settings. It is a powerful account of ordinary people standing against colonial power, told with compassion and specificity. Sembène later became the father of African cinema; this novel made his literary reputation.
So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ (1979) — Bâ was born in Dakar and spent time in Thiès. Her debut novel, written as a series of letters from a recently widowed Senegalese woman to her friend, is a sharp and moving account of women's lives in Senegalese society. One of the most important African novels written by a woman.
Guide
Eating Out
Thiès has a range of local restaurants and maquis (informal restaurants) serving Senegalese staples at prices well below Dakar. Thiéboudienne (fish and rice cooked in tomato sauce, the national dish) is on every menu. Yassa (chicken or fish marinated in lemon and onion), mafé (peanut stew), and various rice and millet dishes are the everyday fare.
The area around the central market has the densest concentration of cheap eating options. There are also a handful of restaurants serving French-influenced cuisine near the centre for more formal meals.
Guide
Getting There
Thiès is 70 km east of Dakar on the main RN1 road. Bush taxis (sept-places — seven-seat Peugeot 504s or larger vehicles) depart frequently from Dakar's Gare Routière de Colobane and from Dakar–Yoff; the journey takes about 90 minutes. Buses are cheaper but slower. By train, the Dakar–Thiès service still runs but is infrequent; check current schedules.
Thiès is also on the main road to Touba, Kaolack, and the interior of Senegal, making it a natural stopping point on longer overland journeys.
