The Great Mosque of Djenné

The Great Mosque of Djenné, rising above the historic Sahel town of the same name in central Mali, is the largest mud-brick building in the world and one of the most beautiful, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an icon of African architecture. Built entirely of sun-dried earth in the distinctive Sudano-Sahelian style, its great sculpted walls, three tapering towers and bundles of protruding wooden beams create a silhouette like nothing else on earth. Each year the whole community joins in a festival to re-plaster the mosque with fresh mud, keeping it alive. Set beside a lively market on the old caravan and river routes, Djenné is a place of remarkable atmosphere and heritage.

History

When the first mosque was built is unknown, with suggestions from 1200 to 1330; the Tarikh al-Sudan of the mid-17th century says that Sultan Kunburu became a Muslim, pulled down his palace and turned the site into a mosque, his successor adding the towers and the next sultan the surrounding wall, and in the interpretation of the architectural historian Labelle Prussin later rulers rebuilt it several times, among them the Songhay ruler Askia Mohammed at the end of the 15th century. The Fulani leader Seku Amadu, who conquered the town in the early 19th century, let the old mosque fall into ruin and between 1834 and 1836 built a plain new one to the east, on the site of the former palace. After French forces under Louis Archinard took Djenné in April 1893, the town arranged in 1906 for the original mosque to be rebuilt, and the work was completed in 1907, with forced labour, under Ismaila Traoré, head of the town's guild of masons; with the old towns of Djenné the mosque became a World Heritage Site in 1988 (Wikipedia, Great Mosque of Djenné).

Highlights

• The Great Mosque - the world's largest and finest mud-brick building.
• The sculpted towers - the tapering towers and wooden spikes.
• The annual re-plastering - the community festival that renews it.
• The old town and market - the historic Sahel town around it.

When to go

November to February, the cool dry season, is the most comfortable time to visit the town and its market, avoiding the intense heat and the summer rains; the great Monday market beneath the mosque is a particular highlight. The earthen mosque glows beautifully in the warm morning and evening light.

Good to know

Djenné lies in the interior of Mali and takes effort to reach, and the mosque's interior is generally reserved for worshippers, so visitors admire its extraordinary exterior. As the largest and most beautiful mud-brick building in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage icon renewed each year by its community, though, the Great Mosque of Djenné is an unforgettable and singular sight.

Nearby

The river port of Mopti and the inland Niger delta lie nearby.

Key facts