Djenne, Mali is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its use of adobe and the 800-year-old Grand Mosque. It was an important trading center and fought off attacks from the Mali Empire. The Great Mosque was built in the 13th century and is maintained annually. Djenne was conquered by the Songhai Empire in the 15th century and changed hands multiple times before becoming part of modern-day Mali. The city is a thriving archaeological site with many adobe buildings open to visitors. Nearby Jenne-Jeno is also a UNESCO site with a history dating back nearly two millennia.
Djenne is a city in Mali. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1988. Djenne is best known for the extensive use of adobe in its structures, as well as the nearly 800-year-old Grand Mosque of Djenne.
Djenne was the first site of a city in the 3rd century BC The modern city of Djenne, however, was built around the 8th century. Djenne is considered by many to be the oldest city in sub-Saharan Africa.
Djenne was an important trading center in sub-Saharan Africa, helping connect desert traders with those in lush tropical forests. At times it even rivaled Timbuktu in importance as a trading center. Although bordered by the Mali Empire, Djenne was never a part of the Empire, even during the height of the Mali Empire it remained a sovereign city state, fighting off Malian attacks many times. Popular legend has it that the Mali Empire attacked Djenne 99 times before finally admitting they could not take the city.
In the 13th century the Great Mosque of Djenne was built by the ruler of the city, Koi Kunburo, after his conversion to Islam. He built the mosque entirely of clay, helping to make it the iconic sight it is today. The original mosque would last for centuries, until it was practically abandoned with the construction of a new mosque in the 13th century, and finally rebuilt in the 19th century to ensure its survival. A great celebration has arisen around the maintenance of the mosque, and every spring many people come together to help re-plaster the mosque, to keep it strong.
In the 15th century, Djenne was finally conquered by the Songhai Empire. Over the next two centuries it would continue to increase in importance, becoming an important stage for the expansion of Islam across Africa. Since then, Djenne will cease to be independent and change hands a number of times. In the late 16th century the city was taken by Morocco as part of their campaign to drive the Songhai Empire out of the region. The city then passed to the Segou Kingdom, the Massinas, the Toucouleur Empire, the French, and would eventually become part of the modern state of Mali.
The city of Djenne itself is a remarkable archaeological site, although it is still very much alive and thriving, with a stable population. The Mosque is the highlight of the city for most visitors, but the myriad adobe buildings provide incredible opportunities for sightseeing. And unlike the Mosque, which is off limits to non-Muslims, many of the other buildings are open.
The nearby town of Jenne-Jeno, which also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a great site for those interested in the archaeological history of this part of Africa. Jenne-Jeno was a population and trading center for centuries before people converted to Islam and moved to Djenne, and while there isn’t much to see in terms of buildings, what there is to see dates back to nearly two millennia.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
