Palais présidentiel de Yamoussoukro

Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire

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The Palais présidentiel de Yamoussoukro is the official presidential residence in Yamoussoukro, the political capital of Côte d'Ivoire. Commissioned by the country’s first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, it was designed by architect Olivier-Clément Cacoub and completed in 1983.

The palace is a grand six-story building located on the site of Houphouët-Boigny's birthplace, N'Gokro, surrounded by extensive gardens and a 22-kilometer fence. It features a blend of modern and traditional architectural elements and includes a chapel overlooking the burial vault of the president himself. The site is marked by symbolic decorations such as life-sized rams, representing the president's totem, and a sacred crocodile pond.

While primarily a government building, the palace is an important cultural and historical symbol representing the ambitions and legacy of Côte d'Ivoire’s founding leader.