Matonge
Vibrant African quarter of shops, hair salons and Congolese eateries, born around a 1950s student hostel.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Matonge in Brussels traces the neighborhood back to a hostel a Belgian woman known as Mamma Monique opened in the late 1950s for African students newly arrived from the Congo. It follows how Congolese independence in 1960 transformed this corner of Ixelles almost overnight, drawing diplomats, exiles and shopkeepers who gave the streets their name, borrowed from a market district in Kinshasa. You'll also hear about the tense days here in December 2011, after a disputed election back home.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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