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All 17 Kigali Attractions »

Ntarama Church

Kigali, Rwanda
Ranked #2 of 8 attractions in Kigali
5.0 of 5 stars 20 Reviews
Type: Historic Sites
Owner description: This site of the April 1994 massacre has been declared a genocide memorial. It remains a solemn tribute to those who were slain, the bones and... more » Owner description: This site of the April 1994 massacre has been declared a genocide memorial. It remains a solemn tribute to those who were slain, the bones and belongings of the dead still lying among the aisles and the altar. « less
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20 reviews from our community

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nanuet
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 May 2012

My recommendation is to visit the KIgali Memorial Centre first, and on a different day, so that the atrocities you will encounter first hand at Ntarama are in context. You will face the inner sanctum of evil in the human spirit here. The one on one, up close and personal massacres are revealed without pity as your eyes slowly adjust... More

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See 2 more reviews by boundforglory for Kigali
Israel
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 March 2012

On ground moving experience. An unforgetable one, out of the museum atmosphere. If you have Gaspard guiding you do not hesitate to openly ask questions. he is so open and so touching to reveal all his feelings and thoughts.

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See 2 more reviews by docran for Kigali
Top Contributor
62 reviews 62 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 March 2012 via mobile

Impossibke to prepare for, impossible to forget. So sad and moving

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See 3 more reviews by Marcuskillick for Kigali
Forest, Virginia
Top Contributor
97 reviews 97 reviews
Reviews in 36 cities Reviews in 36 cities
67 helpful votes 67 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Unless you are with friends who can drive you, this memorial is a little tricky to get to. Regardless, make every effort to get here. It's a small site, but critically important. Do not bring young children. I sincerely hope memorials such as this one will remain open. Without these graphic reminders, the reality of the genocide will be quickly... More

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See 2 more reviews by manilapacman for Kigali
Juba, South Sudan
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 February 2012

This was by far the most moving memorial I visited in Rwanda. The guides are survivors who lost almost their entire families and somehow manage to talk about it, day after day. They depend on your tips, so be generous.

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See 4 more reviews by blythespirit77 for Kigali
Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 January 2012
2
people found this review helpful

We just visited this church last week after nearly 8 months in Kigali, and can't believe it took us so long for a site than is less than 30 min outside the capital (but a little off the beaten path). After men and boys fended off attackers for nearly a week on an adjacent hilltop, 5,000 women and children died... More

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See 11 more reviews by Brenlang_11 for Kigali
Pretoria
2 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

The Ntamara Genocide memorial has left me speechless. It was terrible to see how cruel people can be, but it was an experience that I will never fotget. The guide was very friendly and helpful. Absolutely wonderful drive there from Kigali, well worth the $70 it costs to get there with a taxi.

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Dundee, United Kingdom
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 November 2011

I have never been so moved as I was when I visited Ntarama church. I found it even more upsetting than Nyamata, perhaps because our guide had lived through the genocide himself and honestly shared his story. He truly is an outstanding man! The church is however not somewhere for the faint hearted to visit - there are still blood... More

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See 2 more reviews by Scottishgal5 for Kigali
London, England
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 August 2011

This really is worth a visit. Very moving experience, and very different from the exhibition you will see in Kigali itself. You can combine a trip to Ntarama with Nyamata as they are only a short drive from each other, and both about 30 minutes cab ride from Kigali. This is a must.

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See 3 more reviews by njd123 for Kigali
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 August 2011

A very sad place, but necessary to visit to understand what happened in Rwanda in 1994.

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See 3 more reviews by Thomas8309 for Kigali

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