Located in a small roundabout in downtown Conakry's southern coast is a statue of a man named Samori Toure. Toure was a national hero who helped gain Guinea's independence from France in the 1950s. Surrounded by greenery, this statue is reminiscent of a far eastern statue of Buddah as it is slightly yellow-green in color and has undefined features below the waist. The man is robed and holding one arm against his waist with another at his side. He wears a turban and has a slight smile on his face.
Not far from the Conakry airport is a statue commemorating and honoring the women of Guinea. A brightly colored statue depicts a smiling woman dressed in vibrant blue and holding a yellow bowl. A brown ceramic pot sits at her feet. The statue is a tribute to women and holds special significance as Guinea translated means "woman."
Located in the center median of a highly trafficked avenue in downtown Conakry, a statue of a woman with her arms raised is called "Liberte". It commemorates the country's socialist past, which inspired Guinea to liberate itself from France in 1958. The status is blackened bronze and depicts a woman with broken shackles around her wrists to symbolize a worker breaking the shackles of colonial rule.
In the middle of a roundabout near the eastern edge of Conakry lies a memorial to Guinea's favorite national sport, soccer. The statue shows a man wearing a red shirt, yellow shorts and green shin guards with white socks and shoes. The man appears to be in motion and looks like he is about to kick a soccer ball. He is young, fit and mounted up on a 20 foot high white platform. "Syli National" is the symbol and motto of the Guinean soccer team. Other statues in the city depict this motto subtly, such as an elephant standing over a soccer ball with "Syli National" carved into its foot.
