Great Mosque of Djenne Mali

The Great Mosque of Djenne is a large banco or adobe building that is considered by many architects to be one of the greatest achievements of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style. The mosque is located in the city of Djenne, Mali, on the flood plain of the Bani River.

Considered as one of the greatest achievements of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style, the Great Mosque of Djenne is one of the most iconic landmarks of Africa the first mosque in Djenne is believed to have been built in the 14th century but the present structure on the same site dates back to 1907. The sprawling mosque right from the spired walls to the minarets are built from sun-baked bricks made from mud which have then been plastered with sand and earth-based mortar. The sticks which project from the structure help maintain the stability of the structure. Once a year after the rainy season, the entire community comes together to carry out the maintenance of the mosque. Unlike other historical monuments, the people of Djenne have refused to modernize the mosque with electricity. Barring a loudspeaker system that has been incorporated into the structure, the mosque is devoid of any other modern additions.

Visiting the mosque of Djenne

What an incredibly astounding and remarkable place. The mosque and old town are historic heritage sites. The sand in the mosque is turned over once a year, and the prayer carpets were donated by the citizens. You can access a rooftop view by kindly asking the guide of one of the adjacent citizens’ houses. On Monday, it overlooks the large market, where many villagers hawk their goods. To visit the inside, you give whatever donation you can, and a clergyman will walk you through the men and women sections. Women will need a headcover.

How to get to the mosque of Djenne

The mosque of the Djenne has located about 540 km from the main capital Bamako and using a 4×4 safari vehicle you can easily access the historical mosque build-out of the mud.

Where to stay while visiting the Mosque of Djenne

There are very local guest houses available in the nearby town that does not require an advance booking however if you camping equipment the best way is to do camping in the nearby areas with the local family near Djenne mosque.