Old Towns of Djenné, World Heritage Site in Mali

Djenné is a trading town in the Mopti Region in central Mali, which began to be inhabited around the 3rd century and became a center of Islamic missionary activity in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the old town, nearly 2,000 traditional houses made of mud still remain, and the unique landscape incorporating “terron,” pieces of wood, is a distinctive feature.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why Old Towns of Djenné is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner.Read this and you will definitely learn more about Old Towns of Djenné!

What is Old Towns of Djenné?

Djenné is an oasis city located about 570 km northeast of Bamako, the capital of Mali.It is one of the oldest cities in sub-Saharan Africa, and many houses representing African Islamic architecture remain in the old town. The “Great Mosque,” a large mosque made of mud, is particularly famous.

The surrounding archaeological sites of Djenné-Geno (the former center of Djenné), Hambarkétolo, Tonomba, and Kaniana are also registered as World Heritage sites. The site is also home to artifacts dating back to the 3rd century B.C., which show the pre-Islamic structure of Djenné and the surrounding city.

Djenné was originally a settlement founded by the Bozo tribe in the 3rd century B.C. It developed as a trading town with neighboring Timbuktu in the 8th century B.C. Djenné was annexed by the Mali Empire in the 13th century and conquered by the Songai Empire in the 15th century.In the 14th and 16th centuries, Djenné flourished as a town connecting Timbuktu with the interior of Mali, but it gradually declined after Moroccan rule at the end of the 16th century.

Despite its declining economy, Djenné remained a center of Islamic missionary activity. However, when the city of Mopti was built nearby in 1905, the trading center became Mopti.

Crisis Heritage Site

The surrounding area has been listed as a Crisis Heritage Site since 2016 due to political instability.

Main registered components

Great Mosque

The mosque is a symbol of Djenné and is covered with mud paint. It is believed to have been built here in the 13th century, when the king of the time converted to Islam and converted his palace into a mosque. The present building, reconstructed in the early 20th century, is a vast mosque supported by 100 mud pillars, 20 m high and 75 m deep.

For what reason is the Old Town of Djenné on the World Heritage List?

The Old Town of Djenné was recognized for

Registration Criterion (iii)
The point that many settlements and artifacts have been excavated from Djenné-Geno, and these prove that there was a civilization in the area before Islam.

Registration Criteria (iv)
Today, Djenné has a unique townscape with a Moroccan-style facade, which means that there are still architectural structures that remind us of the history of the city, especially the Great Mosque.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Impressions

It is often thought that only the Old City is appreciated, but in fact, the surrounding archaeological sites are also registered, and the fact that we can see the urban structure before the Islamicization of the city also contributes to its reputation. Of course, the traditional facades of the houses made of mud in the Old City and the Great Mosque are also highly evaluated.

Incidentally, the walls of the Great Mosque are painted with mud, and the citizens repaint the mud every year, which is why the landscape is kept as it is today.It is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site that is most likely not to be seen in 100 years, and it is understandable that people are worried about its survival because the material is mud.

*The contents here are considerations derived through research by World Heritage enthusiasts.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.