Market at Great Mosque of Djenne
In 1907 while under French colonial rule, the village of Djenné, Mali built what is now the largest adobe building in the world. Today, the Great Mosque of Djenné serves as an Islamic mosque, community center, and market. It is one of the most famous landmarks in Africa and was labeled as a World Heritage Site in 1988.
French journalist Félix Dubois described the building in 1910 as a mix between a hedgehog and a church organ. The mosque was constructed out of mud bricks and mortar, coated with mud plaster, and then adorned with bundles of sticks that protrude from the walls. When ventilation is needed, inverted bowls are removed from small vents on the roof, allowing the hot air to rise out of the building.
The locals take great pride in their mosque. Although many of the mosques in Mali have over time been renovated with electricity and plumbing, the citizens of Djenné have chosen to preserve the building’s historic integrity. This has earned the praise of many historic preservationists and brought more tourists to the site. However, local outrage following a 1996 Vogue fashion shoot held in the mosque resulted in a ban of non-Muslims from entering the building. In 2006, roof inspectors were seen tearing up a section of the roof. An angry mob formed and the men had to run for their lives. This caused a riot in which the crowd ripped out ventilation fans that had been presented by the US Embassy, destroyed cars and damaged buildings throughout the town. Police from a neighboring town had to be called to stop the rampage.
The most interesting thing about the Great Mosque of Djenné is the unusual annual festival that takes place to maintain the mosque’s façade. During the year, the harsh African weather takes its toll on the mud skin of the mosque. The rain, flooding, and drastic temperature changes form cracks in the mud skin that must be repaired with fresh mud plaster. This new plaster is prepared a few days before the festival in large pits near the river and takes several days to cure.
- Villagers participate in annual remudding festival
Every citizen is excited to have a specific part in the festival. Women and children bring water to add to the mixture, which is constantly stirred by young boys who play in the pits. The whole operation is overseen by members of the local masons guild who asses the plaster mixture and know when it is ready to apply. The festival begins with a race to see who can be the first to deliver the plaster to the workmen at the mosque. The men of the village climb on ladders and the built-in scaffolding made of sticks and smear the plaster over the entire façade of the mosque. The village elders who have participated many times in years past sit as honored guests in the market square and watch the festival.
~ Thomas Mazich
