Kangaba

Kangaba is one of the oldest towns of the Mande heartland, associated with the Keita line and with the founding of the Mali empire, and at its centre stands the Kamablon, a small round sanctuary whose thatch is replaced every seventh year in a ceremony lasting several days that brings together families with hereditary roles in it. UNESCO inscribed the re-roofing in 2009. Much of what happens inside is closed to outsiders.

Background

Mandinka settlers are believed to have founded Kangaba in 1050, and the area, once called Kaba, later became one of the Mali Empire's core provinces. A field close to the town gave its name to the Kouroukan Fouga, the Manden Charter proclaimed by Sundiata Keita. The Kamablon stands in the bara, the large public square at the centre of town. It is a sacred round building of mudbrick under a conical roof, put up in 1653, and the oldest such building in the Manden cultural zone. Each re-roofing draws the traditional castes and the founding dynasties of the Mali Empire, while griots recite the oral history of the region. The town has 17,232 inhabitants.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kangaba"

The main sights

• The Kamablon - the round sanctuary at the centre of the town.
• The septennial re-roofing - the ceremony held every seventh year over several days.
• The Mande heritage - a town central to the founding traditions of the Mali empire.
• The 2009 inscription - the UNESCO listing of the ceremony.

When to go

November to February is the comfortable season. The ceremony falls once every seven years, usually in the dry season. Outside it the town is quiet.

What to expect

The ceremony's inner rites are closed to outsiders and photography is restricted. Between ceremonies there is little to see beyond the building. Access to the town requires the same arrangements as travel anywhere in Mali.

Nearby

Bamako is northeast, and the Guinea border is southwest.

Key facts