Arch 22
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Arch 22 is a commemorative arch on the road into
Banjul Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...
in
the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
. It was built in 1996 to mark the military
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
of July 22, 1994, through which
Yahya Jammeh Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former soldier, who served as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017. He was the Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 ...
and his Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council overthrew the democratically elected Gambian government of President
Dawda Jawara Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (16 May 1924 – 27 August 2019) was a Gambian politician who served as prime minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as the first President of The Gambia from 1970 to 1994, when he was overthrown by Yahya Jammeh. Jawa ...
. The arch stands on the Banjul-
Serrekunda Serekunda (or Serrekunda; ) is a major city and the largest metropolitan area in The Gambia. It is situated close to the Atlantic coast, on the Gambia River, near the capital, Banjul. Serekunda and Banjul form an urban area known as the Kombos ...
Highway, near the traffic island at the intersection with Box Bar Road, Independence Drive, and Marina Parade. A statue of the "unknown soldier" can be seen near the base of the arch: the soldier has a rifle strapped to his back and carries a baby in one hand while signaling victory (making a V-sign) with the other. Arch 22 is depicted on the back of the 100- dalasis banknote.


Construction

The arch was designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby, who also designed the
Yundum International Airport Banjul International Airport, also known as Yundum International , is the international airport of Banjul, capital of Gambia, built during World War II. It is the country's only commercial airport. History The only airport in Gambia is at Yu ...
at Banjul and the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal. At 35 metres, the arch is one of the tallest structures in the Gambia. The building stands on eight columns and has three floors. Access to the upper floors can be made through several elevators and spiral cases. The first floor is at an intermediate level in the columns. The gallery on the second floor provides a panorama of the city, with the view extending down to the sea port of Banjul and the mangrove forests of Tanbi Wetland Complex. On the top floor is a small textile museum.


References

{{Authority control Arches and vaults Buildings and structures in Banjul Buildings and structures completed in 1996 Terminating vistas