The Kigali Genocide Museum, known as 'Gisozi' is the burial site of over 250,000 people who were killed in a period of three months in the 1994 genocide.
A hundred days = a million lives ..... a permanent memorial reminder of those who lost their lives. Learn about Rwanda's history, and the countries development since this horrific event.
A large modern white building with terraces along the front, the site can be seen from across the valley. It was opened in April 2004 on the tenth anniversary of the genocide. Visitors can hire a private guide or take an audio tour which takes around 1.5hrs. The idea behind showing all of this is to prevent anyone claiming it did not happen - a permanent reminder to the world of the terrible way that tribal conflict can go wrong. Rwanda's school children are now encouraged to visit this museum and learn about the problems of division and hatred.
There are other sites in and around Kigali which serve as stark reminders of the past as well, including the Nyanza Genocide Museum, Remera Heroes Cemetery and Camp Kigali Memorial.
45 minutes drive south of Kigali, there are two local churches, Nyamata and Ntarama which can be visitied. They were the scenes of serious atrocities committed during the 1994 genocide. At its peak, people took refuge in churches believing no one would attack holy grounds but thousands perished in these places which they considered safe.
