© A. Paolini
The ancient history of Djenné dates back to 250 B.C. and has its roots in what is considered the first urban settlement in West Africa, traces of which remain in Djenné-Jeno. Legend has it that the site was suddenly abandoned around the year 1000, due to evil spirits, tze-tze flies and the flooding of the Bani River, which turned it into an island.
The construction of the new Djenné, a few kilometres from the ancient ruins, took place with an animist sacrificial ceremony involving the burial of a Bozo virgin while still alive, to obtain the good wishes of the spirits (Pama Kayamtao tomb). But Djenné’s spiritual destiny was soon to change under the influence of the trans-Saharan gold trade routes and Islamisation, which saw the royal palace of Koї Komboro transformed into a mosque in 1468, leading the city to become the most important centre of Islamic culture, together with Timbuktu, considered its ‘twin city’. The architectural pearl that characterizes the ancient urban fabric is the famous mosque, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest construction in the world in bench, the dried mud brick of which the Djénnenké are true masters.
Abandoned in the 19th century under the fundamentalist Peulh Sékou Amadou, who had it fall into ruin because he believed it was contaminated by the dissolution with which, in his opinion, the inhabitants lived, it was rebuilt in 1907 in a faithful reproduction of its predecessor. Generally classified as Sudanese-style architecture with Moroccan influences, it is actually a style that could be described as djénnénké, unique and original. The queen of mosques, its grandeur is immediately surprising when you arrive in Djenné, of which it is the fulcrum and reference point, the undisputed symbol of an all-encompassing spirituality. The life and daily routine of the inhabitants revolve around the mosque and the muezzin’s calls to prayer, which echo through the labyrinthine alleys of clay-brick houses and Koranic madrasas. In Djenné, time seems to stand still, in a muffled atmosphere of mysticism and intimate devotion. An integral part of the evocative atmosphere that one breathes is its insular status, in the heart of the waters of Bani river, which one crosses on board carts and pirogues, or a large barge.
Arriving at the jetty at sunset is one of the most intense emotions Mali can offer and one of the most colourful notes of Djenné. The silver glow of the river, the fiery red sky enveloping the semi-deserted scenery in warm light, while a multitude of people wait in disorder for their turn to be transferred. A lively confusion that clashes with the usual quiet of the old town, in a riot of merchandise, donkey-drawn carts, vendors with their bundles, cackling children or impatient young people daring to ford the river on foot, plunging in up to their waists. Finally, on the other bank, Djenné and its mosque appear, opening majestically in the heart of the old town, illuminated by the intense tones of the setting sun, heralding the imminent call to evening prayer.
An excuse to come to the city is the celebration of the mosque’s crepissage, the annual restoration of the plaster, in April, before the rains undermine its integrity. It is a participatory event involving the entire population. From the river bank, the men dredge the best clay to prepare the mixture with the water carried by the women, while the children enjoy mixing the mixture with their feet before it is laid on the façade, climbing the characteristic wooden pins that stick out of the walls.
It’s an incredible spectacle in which Djenné awakens from its usual torpor, otherwise broken every Monday by the most colourful and authentic market in the whole country, in which the square in front of the mosque and the old town are invaded by the comings and goings and the voices of the people, in a mix of merchandise, colours and spicy smells, among wooden stalls, street vendors and the excited haggling of peulh farmers with their livestock in tow. One of Mali’s most famous trading events, held every Monday since the Middle Ages.
