Bassari Country: Bassari, Fula and Bedik Cultural Landscapes
Located in southeastern Senegal, the site includes three geographical regions: the Bassari-Salemata region, the Bedik-Bandafassi region and the Foura-Dinde Felo region, each with its specific morphological characteristics. The Bassari, Foura and Bedik peoples settled here from the 11th to the 19th century and developed specific cultures and habitats that lived in symbiosis with the surrounding natural environment. The Bassari landscape is characterized by terraces and rice fields, with villages, hamlets and archaeological sites scattered among them. The Bedik villages consist of dense clusters of huts with thatched roofs. The cultural expressions of its inhabitants are characterized by primitive features of agro-pastoral, social, ritual and spiritual practices, representing an original response to environmental constraints and human pressures. The site is a well-preserved multicultural landscape with an original and still vibrant local culture.