Djenné

Region

Djenné [ dʒə ˡ ne ː ] is a city in the Mopti region in Mali with 32 944 inhabitants ( census 2009) Djenné is the Massina, by 40,000 km ² large valley with inland delta of the Niger and Bani of. The town itself is situated on a 88 acre island, lapped by a branch of the Bani, which can be reached at low tide by a ford and a dam and flood a ferry. The nearest towns are San (150 km) and the capital Bamako (390 miles) to the southwest, Mopti (130 km) and Timbuktu (350 km) to the northeast.

Although rather small, Djenné is one of the most famous cities in the Niger inland delta and is the center of the medieval earthen architecture in the Upper Niger region represents the famous Great Mosque, the medieval citizens palaces and traditional madrasas remember to this day the former cultural marriage of Mali and Songhay Empire. Approximately 2,000 buildings in clay construction still exist today in the Old Town.

History

Immigrant from the West Soninke founded around the year 800 Djenné on the foundations of an earlier settlement of Bozo fishermen. A major expansion of the city took place in the 13th century after Soninke refugees from the defunct Ghana Empire attracted towards Niger and settled in Djenne.

Djenné was long a center of animism although the environment became more and more influenced by Islam. In the 13th and 14th Century began a slow Islamisation through immigrant merchants from Mali and North Africa. Around this time, the city was moved 3 km from the southeast to Djenne - Djeno to its present location.

Around the year 1300 came the king of Djenne, Kanboro, converted to Islam and ordered the construction of a first major loam mosque. Kanboro tried to revive thanks to the arrival of many new residents in the city and the resulting trade business. Since the Mali Empire (whose sovereignty was under Djenné ) in the 14th century, a period of long lasting political stability enjoyed an undisturbed trade between the towns and villages in the Niger inland delta was possible. Once Timbuktu was conquered by Mali, was a centuries -lasting economic link between the two cities. Djenné supplied the Timbuktu with products from the tropical forest zone and the savannah (eg food, gold and slaves ). From Timbuktu came saharisches rock salt, dates from the Saharan oases and North African luxury goods in return.

Djenné was conquered in 1486 after seven years' siege of Sonni Ali the Great and now belonged to the Songhai calibration. However, the economic and cultural development of Djenné did so no abort. Among other things, originated in the Songhai time a predecessor of today's Great loam mosque, the Sudanese earthen architecture with the magnificent houses reached by this time its peak.

After the conquest of Songhayreiches by the Moroccans Djenné was still some time a prosperous city, but the collapse of the western Trans-Sahara trade led to a decline in their importance. The main caravan route now ran to the east of Bornu to Tripoli.

In the reign of Sechu Ahmadou, a radical Islamic leader of the Fulani of Massina, the city fell into a crisis. Ahmadou wanted to create a closely managed Gottestaat, a pure Islam should determine the life. Among other things, he left in 1830 to tear down the mosque from the Songhai time and many smaller mosques, as the marabouts did not follow the " pure" Islam. In place of the old houses of worship were new, less- adorned buildings.

At the beginning of the French colonial period, in 1907, a new Great Mosque was built following the traditional Sudanese style and to this day is an architectural masterpiece. The building was partially funded by the French government, which was intended to ensure that the influential film of the Qur'an scholars behaved loyal to the colonial masters.

Attractions

Landmark of the city is the large, also mud-built Great Mosque of Djenné ( built around 1907) directly on the central square, held a large traditional market on every Monday. After each rainy season, the building will re-plastered with the participation of many people. It is the largest earthen building plant in the world in Sudan - wattle and daub style. It can accommodate more than 2,000 worshipers.

The old town Djennés was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. In 2012, appeared in Geneva a special stamp of the United Nations with the motif of the old town. Rights- are also the archaeological sites on the also rising from the flood waters hills ( Tougéré ) Djeno, Kaniana, Tonomba and Hambarketolo.