Djenné

Djenné is a town in central Mali, in the Mopti Region, on the floodplain of the Bani River within the Inland Niger Delta. It is a historic trading center on routes linking West Africa’s interior with the Niger Bend and trans-Saharan commerce.

The site is also known for Djenné-Djenno, an ancient urban settlement established around 250 BCE and lasting until about 900 CE, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest urbanized settlements. It demonstrates early city planning, craft production, and long-distance trade connections.

The town is renowned for its Sudano-Sahelian architecture, notably the Great Mosque of Djenné, built of sun-dried mud bricks and reinforced with wooden elements. The mosque is rebuilt and replastered regularly; an annual community effort, known as crepissage, maintains the structure. The Great Mosque is widely regarded as the largest mud-brick building in the world and is a centerpiece of the town’s architectural heritage.

Djenné and its old town were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, recognized for the unity of living traditions and the exceptional example of earthen architecture. The modern town remains a market and crafts center, with an economy based on trade, agriculture, and tourism, and it continues to be the cultural heart of the region.