NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RWANDA
The National Museum of Rwanda was put up in the early 1990s and is an excellent source of information on the cultural history of the country and the region as it is often referred to as the best museum in East Africa. All through the 1994 Rwanda genocide, The National Museum situated in Butare remained safe and sound. It was donated in 1990s by the Belgium government with some ethnic collections; the design and concept were all realized in co-operation with the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren, Belgium.
The The National Museum of Rwanda was put up in the early 1990s and is an excellent source of information on the cultural history of the country and the region as it is often referred to as the best museum in East Africa. located135 km from Kigali and a visit to it can be organized as a day excursion out of the Capital City. One can also visit Butare on the way to Nyungwe Forest NP.
Nyabisindu (Nyanza) is situated 45 km from Butare and 90 km from Kigali. This museum with diverse sections displays an extensive compilation of indistinct pictures, traditional artifacts and objects, tools and different craft products. Ethnographic objects are grouped together according to the theme giving premium information on the daily life. Traditional ceramics and basketry are still manufactured and belong to the finest handicrafts of the region.
It is luxurious and reflects well the time spirit at the end of 19th Century when the East-African Kingdoms came in contact with the first Europeans. The rich insights about Rwanda’s traditional life and culture and the subsequent development during history will contribute to a better understanding of African history and should be compelled for everybody who’s interested in Africa.
Butare now HUYE was the biggest and main city in Rwanda prior to 1965, when it lost out to the more centrally located Kigali, 135km to its north, as the capital of independent Rwanda. Today, the site of several academic institutions, including the country’s largest university, Butare is still regarded to be the intellectual and cultural pulse of Rwanda. It is also pleasingly compact and a dignified town of shady avenues emanating from the main street lined with comfortable small hotels and windy terrace restaurants.
The key tourist attraction in Butare is the excellent National Museum of Rwanda, which houses perhaps the finest ethnographic collection in East Africa. Absorbing displays of traditional artifacts are illuminated by a attractive selection of turn-of-the-century monochrome photographs, providing insight not only into pre-colonial lifestyles, but also into the subsequent development of Rwanda as a modern African state. The cultural significance of Butare area is more underlined by a visit to nearby Nyabisindu, previously known as Nyanza, the traditional seat of Rwanda’s feudal monarchy. The thrilling Royal Palace at Nyanza, a massive domed construction made wholly with traditional materials, has been vigilantly restored to its 19th century state and is now preserved as a museum.