Musée des civilisations, museum in Dschang, Cameroon

The Musée des civilisations is a museum in Dschang featuring contemporary architecture with African design elements, positioned near the town's lake. The building displays artifacts in thematic galleries that document the knowledge and creativity of various population groups throughout Cameroon.

The museum opened in 2010 as a result of partnership between Dschang and the French city of Nantes. Strong backing from Cameroonians living in France helped establish this collaborative project that brings together resources and knowledge from both regions.

The museum's five thematic sections follow Cameroon's cultural areas: the forest peoples of the South, the sea peoples of the Littoral, the Sudano-Sahelian peoples of the North, the Grassfields peoples of the West, and the country's history and foundations. More than 500 objects are shown with explanatory panels and audiovisual media. The building was designed by Sylvain Djache Nzefa, promoter of the Route des Chefferies.

The museum welcomes visitors during regular daily hours and offers guided tours to help you understand the exhibitions better. A shop on-site sells handcrafted items and souvenirs made by local artisans.

The architect is named: Sylvain Djache Nzefa, promoter of the Route des Chefferies programme. He shaped the 1,200 m² building around forms of a spider, an elephant, a buffalo and a mask, and gave it eight columns and two conical roofs. From the air the roofs read as cones; from the lake side the columns frame the entrance.