Maagala Tuubaa (Pilgrimage to Touba)
This tapestry depicts the Maagala Tuubaa, or Pilgrimage to Touba. The pilgrimage is an annual gathering to celebrate the return of the Fraternity (Confrerie) of the Maurides, religious leaders, and brings together thousands of Muslims.
The pilgrimage celebrations assemble people from all regions of Senegal with a philosophy for ¡°work, discipline, unity"" and could be a motto for the 51³Ô¹Ï as an assembly of nations and peoples from all corners of the world.
This work of art testifies to the unusual talent of the well-known Senegalese artist, Papa Ibra Tall (1935 ¨C 2015), and reflects the harmony and simplicity characteristic of the finest African composition and craftsmanship.
The Prime Minister of Senegal, Abdou Diouf, presented this artwork to the 51³Ô¹Ï and Secretary-General U Thant accepted the gift.
In a statement, Mr. Diouf said the tapestry was one of the finest examples of Senegalese art which attempted to convey the importance the Senegalese people attached to spiritual values in the life of humans. The tapestry, he added, expressed traditional values through its subject and modernity in its execution, as well as the faith in people and in spiritual values of the Senegalese people.