Djenné
Mali · Mopti · 275 m
Description
Djenné stands on an island in the Bani river and is reached by a small ferry, which is part of why it survived intact. Its Great Mosque is the largest mud brick building in the world, a mass of tapering buttresses and palm beams that is replastered every year by the whole town in a single day of collective work. The old town around it holds some two thousand houses of the same earthen construction, many with the ornate facades of the Toucouleur and Moroccan styles. On Mondays the square in front of the mosque fills with one of the great markets of the Sahel.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Great Mosque of Djenné
- Old Towns of Djenné (UNESCO)
- Monday market on the mosque square
- Djenné earthen houses & facades
- Annual mosque replastering (approx. April)
- Bani river ferry crossing
- Djenné-Djeno archaeological site
- Djenné Koranic schools
- Rooftop view over the old town
- Bozo fishing quarter
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- MZI, BKO
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry