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The walls of the Mosque vary in thickness between
40-60cm (16-24 inches), depending on their height. These
massive walls are necessary in order to carry the weight of the
tall structure, much the same as the walls of
Shibam.
High up in the building bundles of
rodier palm
(below left) provide footholds for plastering after the rainy
season when the whole community (below right) get together in a festival to
repair the Mosque's walls. The mud used for the adobe bricks and
plaster comes from the Niger River. The mud
is mixed with rice husks and straw and fermented for a month when
it becomes very tough, viscous and rain resistant. During the day the walls
of the Mosque gradually warm up
and then radiate their stored energy during the night. This keeps the interior of the mosque
cool all day long. The Mosque has roof vents
with ceramic caps that can be removed at night to ventilate the
interior. It has three towers, each 11m (36ft) high topped
with an ostrich egg symbolizing fertility and purity.
The first Mosque in Djenné was built in 1240 by the
sultan Koi Kunboro. A second mosque was built in the 1830's
leaving the first to
fall into disrepair. The present mosque was built in
1906-7 on the ruined floor plan of the original 13th century
mosque. The adobe town of Djenné was designated a
UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. |
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