Great Mosque of Djenné


 Great Mosque of Djenné. Mali. Founded c. 1200 C.E.; rebuilt 1906–1907. Adobe.
  • As one of the wonders of Africa, and one of the most unique religious buildings in the world, the Great Mosque of Djenné, in present-day Mali, is also the greatest achievement of Sudano-Sahelian architecture
  • It is also the largest mud-built structure in the world.
  • The Great Mosque that we see today is its third reconstruction, completed in 1907. According to legend, the original Great Mosque was probably erected in the 13th century. 
  • King Koi Konboro—Djenné’s twenty-sixth ruler and its first Muslim sultan (king)—decided to use traditional design techniques to build a place of Muslim worship in town. 
  • The mosque compound continued to expand over the centuries. 

  • The Great Mosque that we see today is rectilinear in plan and is partly enclosed by an exterior wall. An earthen roof covers the building, which is supported by monumental pillars.
  • The roof has several holes covered by terra-cotta lids which provide its interior spaces with fresh air 
  • The façade of the Great Mosque includes three minarets and a series of engaged columns that together create a rhythmic effect
  • the present Great Mosque includes several innovations such as a special court reserved for women and a principal entrance with earthen pillars; grave of religious rulers
  • DJENNE CENTER OF COMMERCE, RELIGION, CULTURE, ISLAMIC TEACHING, AND A POLITICAL SYMBOL
  • REBUILT MULTIPLE TIMES; FORCED LABOR 
  • PLASTERING OF THE GREAT MOSQUE; FESTIVAL CELEBRATION TO MAINTAIN CULTURE 

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