The Largest Mud Brick Structure of the World, Djene Mosque Mali

The country of Mali has a rich history associated with it. It was part and in fact, the centre of the Sub Saharan Mali empire which ruled large swathes of the western and central Africa in the 15^th and 16^th century. The historical importance and prosperity that the country of Mali enjoyed in the continent is evident from the gorgeous architecture of its cities like Timbuktu and Djene. Both of them were the major trading posts along the famous Trans Saharan trade route and were the major centres of Islamic scholarship in the region. UNESCO has proclaimed both of these cities as part of its World Heritage Sites and the tourists who have always been attracted by their mythical fame are arriving there in even more numbers.

Djene a small town in the Mopti region of Mali is fast becoming famous with tourists mainly because of its impressive mud brick mosque which is an excellent example of Islamic and Saharan architecture. The town with a population of more than 12,000 people provides a deep insight into the culture and lifestyle of Mali.

If you are arriving from abroad then you will have to take a cheap flight to Bamako the capital of Mali from where you will have to take a connecting flight to Mopti the biggest town in the region close to Djene. There is a bus service available for getting from Mopti to Djene but because of the hassle involved in getting a seat in it most tourists prefer hiring their own car for this part of the journey, if this option seems a little too expensive to you then try to tag along with a group of tourists to share the burden. There are a few hotels in the town which can provide you with decent facilities at a competitive price.

The biggest attraction of the town is its Sudanese styled architecture; most of the buildings here including the Grand Mosque of Djene is made up of mud bricks covered with mud plaster. The major tourist magnet of Djene is its mosque which is the biggest mud-brick structure in the world. Although the original mosque was built somewhere in the 16^th century the current building was constructed in 1907 by the French who were in control of Mali as the colonial masters. According to most archeologists, the French did an excellent job in keeping and matching the original architecture of the mosque.

The mosque was closed for non-Muslims in the year 2008 when a French fashion magazine tried to shoot a few pictures of a nude model in its courtyard which enraged the local populace of Djene. But the mosque has been opened for the tourists now but you are not allowed to take the camera with you inside the mosque. The government tourism department can provide you with a guide for providing you with a tour of the mosque and will provide you with ample information regarding its history and architecture.