Djenné

Djenné

Populated since 250 BC, Djenné became a market center and an essential hub of the trans-Saharan gold trade. During the 15th and 16th centuries it was a main center for the propagation of Islam. The traditional houses of the town, of which almost 2,000 remain, were built on hillsides as protection against seasonal floods. Located 130 km south-west of Mopti and about 570 km north-east of Bamako, Djenné, the chief town of the Djenné Circle, is one of the oldest in sub-Saharan Africa. The "Old Towns of Djenné" heritage site includes four archaeological sites, Djenné-Djeno, Hambarkétolo, Kaniana and Tonomba, as well as the old buildings of the current town of Djenné, which cover an area of 48.5 hectares, and are divided into ten districts. In 1977, 1981, 1996 and 1997, the archaeological excavations uncovered an exceptional page of human history which dates back to the 3rd century BC. They have revealed an archaeological assemblage that testifies to a pre-Islamic urban structure, with numerous circular or rectangular djenné ferey buildings and a number of archaeological relics such as funerary jars, pottery, millstones, grindstones and metal scoria. The town's main attractions are the Great Mosque and the two-story adobe houses with their imposing façades. The most famous is the Maiga family house, which houses the town's traditional chief. Other sites of interest include the tomb of Tapama Djenepo, who was sacrificed at the founding of the city, and the ruins of Djenné-Jéno, which was an important settlement between the 3rd century BC and the 13th century AD.