🕌 Great Mosque of Djenné
Mali
About This Sacred Site
The Great Mosque of Djenné is the largest mud-brick (adobe) building in the world and one of the most iconic examples of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. Located in the ancient city of Djenné, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mosque was originally built in the 13th century and rebuilt in its current form in 1907. Each year, the entire community participates in a festival to re-plaster the mosque with fresh mud, a ritual that combines architectural maintenance with deep spiritual communal bonding.
Key Facts
- •The largest mud-brick structure in the world
- •Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Djenné (1988)
- •The current structure was rebuilt in 1907 on the foundation of the 13th-century original
- •The annual re-plastering festival is a major communal and spiritual event
- •Non-Muslims have been barred from entering since a 1996 fashion shoot controversy
Location
Coordinates: 13.9054, -4.5553
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