Mali is the African country home to the Great Mosque of Djenné.
The mosque stands in the historic city of Djenné in Mali’s Inner Niger Delta. Its present structure was completed in 1907, although the site has a much older history of mosque construction. It is built mainly from banco, a traditional sun-dried mud material made from earth, sand, and water.
The building is among the best-known examples of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. Each year, residents traditionally participate in a communal replastering festival that repairs damage caused by rain and weather. Djenné’s old town, including the mosque, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.