Introduction:
The July 22nd Arch
is a
monument that spans the Independence Drive which is the road that leads into the
Gambia's capital. A good reason to visit the monument is
for the panoramic views you get of the city from the top floor terrace.
Here you get a better idea of the place as an island city, encircled
by the ocean, the River Gambia and parts of the Tanbi mangroves. The
other obvious features you see is are many corrugated rooftops, the large King Fahad Mosque, the
National Assembly building and the Supreme Court.
 The classical columns house the lifts and staircases which lead up to
the
cafe. The
upper level central bridge houses a small
ethnographic museum. Here
you will find on display agricultural implements, traditional textile
robes, and weapons such as bamboo bows and arrows as well as locally
made firearms. There is also the handwritten text of the President's
takeover speech and the very stool which he sat upon to make it.
Soon after the opening of the Arch 22 one lift was abandoned having been made
unusable due to subsidence caused by the soft soil. Cars have also
been banned from driving between the columns and have to take the
Marina Parade route instead.
Vicinity:
 In
front of the base of the monument stands a statue of a soldier holding a
baby in the middle of a roundabout. Behind the monument towards the
city are gilded statues of musicians on rounded,
white pedestals. There is also a restaurant set within gardens for
refreshments.
Building Details:
The off-white Arch 22, whose height
stands at 114 feet high, was built in the period 1994-1996 at a cost
of £720,000 (US$1.15 million) by the construction company Gamsen and
inaugurated on July 22nd to coincide with the anniversary it
commemorates - the coup of Yahya Jammeh.
 The hollow-arched
pediment which is held up by 8 huge, fluted,
Doric columns was designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre
Goudiaby (Kujabi) and Amadou Samba.
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Videos: 
Ground
level
Higher Views
more
Contact Details:
Management Board
Telephone number: 4222115
Entry Fee:
D50 per person (about £1.25)
Opening Hours:
8 am to 4 pm
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