Page 168 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

F7:· AFRICA Djenne Mosque

With its striking fa~ade and unique architectural
style, the Djenne Mosque ranks among the most
unusual and beautiful buildings in the world. This
large, mud-brick structure is typical of the special
African-Islamic "marriage" found on the continent,
in which African societies have molded Islam to fit
their own traditional beliefs, values, and concerns.
A mosque is usually constructed with the finest
materials available, but the Djenne Mosque is made
with sun-baked mud (also known as adobe or pise),
which, in the skilled hands of the Mali master-
A The mosque's imposing mud-bric k fa~ade
masons, has resulted in one of the most remarkable
v Base expressions of faith in Africa. Mosque Interior

Three Sloping Minarets
These are used by the muezzin
(mosque official) to call the
faithful to prayer. Staircases
inside each minaret lead
directly to the roof.

-< Market
A colorful market is
set up in front of the
Djenn~ Mosque every
Monday, attracting
traders from the
s urrounding area.
Djenn~ and its region
are famous for the
mud cloth sold here,
known as bogolan.

-< Pillars and Roof

~ Wooden Beams
Giving the mosque its distinctive
"spiked" appearance, the palm beams
not only support the mud walls, but
also serve as a kind of permanent
scaffolding for the annual repairs
Visually, they also reliEI!e the solidity
of the structure.

KEY DATES
c. 125~1300 1300-1468 1468 1591 1819 1907 1988
Djenne town is Djenn~ resists The Songhay empire, Djenne is taken by Chelkou Amadou A third mosque Djenne Mosque
founded on the atta::ks by the Mali one of the largest More< co as part of abandons the old Is built on the is declared a
Bani Rh~r and the empire, remaining in Africa's history, its campaign to drive mosque and builds foundations of UNESCO World
first mosque Is built. an Independent captures and the Song hay empire a new on e on a the 13th<entury Heritage Site.
c~y·5late. annexes Djenne. out of the regbn. different site. original.