The Tomb of Askia

The Tomb of Askia, in the historic river city of Gao on the Niger in eastern Mali, is one of the great monuments of the Sahel and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built at the end of the fifteenth century by Askia Muhammad, the powerful emperor who made the Songhai one of the largest empires in African history, this striking pyramidal tower of earth rises some seventeen metres, bristling with the protruding wooden beams typical of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. Together with its two mosques and cemetery, it is a masterpiece of mud-brick building and a powerful reminder of the wealth and reach of the medieval West African empires that once flourished along the great river.

History

Askia Mohammed I, the first emperor of the Askia line, who enlarged the Songhai Empire, returned from his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1497-98 bringing, it is said, all the mud and wood for his tomb from Mecca in a caravan of thousands of camels. The tomb, built at the end of the 15th century and 17 metres high, was laid out like a house with rooms and passages and sealed at his death; only he lies inside, while other Askias are buried in the courtyard. It has been replastered regularly throughout its history, the mosques beside it were enlarged in the 1960s and mid-1970s, a wall was built around the site in 1999 and electricity arrived in the early 2000s, and it is a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Tomb of Askia).

The main sights

• The earthen pyramid - the striking pyramidal mud tomb tower.
• The wooden beams - the protruding timbers of Sahel architecture.
• The mosques - the two prayer halls of the complex.
• The river setting - the historic city of Gao on the Niger.

When to go

November to February, the cool dry season, is the most comfortable time to visit Gao and the tomb, avoiding the fierce desert-edge heat; the mild winter suits exploring the monument and riverside city. The earthen pyramid glows warmly in the low morning and evening light.

Things to know

Gao lies far up the Niger in eastern Mali and takes real effort to reach, and the tomb is a single striking monument rather than a large complex. As a UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece of earthen architecture built by a great Songhai emperor, a powerful symbol of medieval West African empire, though, the Tomb of Askia is a genuinely remarkable and evocative sight.

Nearby

The Niger river and the historic city of Gao surround the monument.

Key facts