Great Mosque of Djenne

Great Mosque of Djenne

A Building in Africa Djenné (je-NAY) is one of Mali's oldest cities. It is also home to an important religious building: the Great Mosque of Djenné. Mosques are places where Muslims pray. Muslims follow the religion of Islam. Islam is one of the largest religions in the world. It has more than one billion followers.

A Place to Trade Djenné lies between two rivers. Because the town was close to water, desert travelers in the thirteenth century often passed through it. People brought salt, cloth, copper, and silver from the north. They traded these things for southern gold, nuts, and leather. Travelers also spread Islam. Djenné became a center for Islamic study.

Three Mosques The Great Mosque of Djenné has a long history, The mosque we see today is not the first one. It has been built three times. King Koi Konboro built the first Great Mosque in the 1200s. He built it on land near his palace.

In 1834, a different leader tore down the mosque. He replaced it with a new mosque. French armies took over the city in 1893 and tore down this mosque. The people of Djenné built today's mosque in 1907. They fix it every year. Because of this, the mosque may look quite different from year to year.

A Plain Building Many mosques are decorated with beautiful tiles and carvings. The Great Mosque of Djenné is different because it is plain. Bundles of palm wood twigs stick out from the mosque's tall brown walls.