Kahone

Kahone, just east of Kaolack, was the precolonial capital of the Kingdom of Saloum, founded as the royal seat around 1494 by Maad Saloum Mbegane Ndour and ruled by the Guelwar dynasty. The ruins of the 15th-century royal palace, built of mud-brick, still stand in the town, and the surrounding countryside holds numerous ancient burial mounds (tumuli), stone circles, and megaliths marking the graves of Saloum kings. The monarchy was ceremonially reinstated in 2017, with the current King of Saloum crowned at Kahone, so the town retains a living royal and ceremonial role alongside its archaeological sites.

By Road

Kahone sits just east of Kaolack on the road toward the interior of the Sine-Saloum, a short trip from the regional capital.

The town and palace-ruin site are small enough to explore on foot.

• Ruins of the Saloum royal palace — 15th-century mud-brick remains of the seat of the Guelwar dynasty.
• Royal tumuli and megaliths — ancient burial mounds and stone circles in the countryside around Kahone, part of the wider Senegambian stone circle heritage of the region.

• Kaolack — the regional capital, a short trip away, with transport connections and accommodation.