Makasutu is a Mandinka word which means “sacred forest”.
According to the legend a dragon like creature called Ninki Nanka lives in the mud under the mangroves. He is a spirit guarding the crown of the late Mansa Jatta – a tribal king from the Soninke Kingdom of Busumbala.
The Ninki Nanka also protects the Makasutu forrest and the place have been mostly used for prayer and tribal rituals, such as the bathing of newly circumcised boys in the waters of the Mandina Bolong.
