what can i do at NYAMATA GENOCIDE MEMORIAL-rwanda
Nyamata church genocide memorial is situated in the Bugesera district, south of Kigali city. It was a church before it became a genocide center. It’s where the Tutsi who had faith were hiding before they were murdered by the Hutu during the genocide of 1994, and where over 25,000 brutally assassinated people were buried on the church premises. click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris
Nyamata genocide memorial is one of the worst genocide places in Rwanda because novice people were executed with a panga and their clothes, national identity card, shoes, and fabric for the deceased were submerged in blood in the church building. View mountain gorilla trekking safaris
What can i see at Nyamata church genocide memorial site in 2024
The Nyamata Church Genocide Memorial is located off the busy main thoroughfare of the town. Following the mwami's death in 1959 and the ensuing revolution, thousands of Tutsis were herded into the comparatively hostile area of Bugesera.
Thus, the genocide had a disproportionately large impact on the region. In and around the grounds of Nyamata Church, between April 14 and April 19, 1994, almost 10,000 people lost their lives.
Today, the seemingly ordinary brick church is silent. From the gates into the church, a stone road lined with white and purple memorial embellishments leads the visitor. Waiting at the entrance door, visitors are taken by survivor guides who lead them across the grounds while narrating the unfathomable site in a somber and basic manner.
There are numerous visible bullet holes in the corrugated tin roof. The large central space of worship has been cleared of all physical remnants, but bloodstains are still visible on the white sheet covering the altar.
The church basement has been transformed into a permanent catacomb and is reachable from the back via steep stairs. There are racks holding coffins, bones, and skulls on either side of the extremely small halls. A banner that reads,
"If you had known me and you had really known yourself, you would not have killed me," is displayed over the main door of the church in Kinyarwanda.