Nyamata Genocide Memorial

About

Based around a former church in the south of Kigali, the Nyamata Genocide Memorial is one of six genocide museums in Rwanda and one of the most confronting. In 1994, around 10,000 Tutsi people gathered in the church to seek a place of refuge from the Hutu soldiers, but found themselves in a death trap. Grenades were thrown at the mass of people inside and more people in the surrounding area were killed after the church massacre. Upon entering the site, you’ll walk past a metal gate that’s been bent and twisted by the killers who forced their way inside. Inside the church, purple and white cloths adorn the ceilings - symbolic colors in Rwanda for mourning and hope. Steps lead eerily down to a morgue-like basement below ground, where a closed coffin containing the corpse of a victim sits on white tiles. You’ll leave this site with a sense of devastation and unforgettable insight from the guides. Photo by Stevooh under CC BY-SA 4.0