The architecture of Mali is a distinct subset of

Sudano-Sahelian architecture Sudano-Sahelian architecture refers to a range of similar indigenous architectural styles common to the African peoples of the Sahel and Sudanian grassland (geographical) regions of West Africa, south of the Sahara, but north of the fertile for ...

indigenous to

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

. It comprises

adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for ''mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of e ...

buildings such as the

Great Mosque of Djenné The Great Mosque of Djenné ( ar, الجامع الكبير في جينيه) is a large brick or adobe building in the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style. The mosque is located in the city of Djenné, Mali, on the flood plain of the Bani River ...

or the

University of Timbuktu The University of Timbuktu is a collective term for the teaching associated with three mosques in the city of Timbuktu in what is now Mali: the mosques of Sankore, Djinguereber, and Sidi Yahya. It was an organized scholastic community that endured ...

. It can be found all over the

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

region of Africa. Malian architecture developed during the

Ghana Empire The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadou ( ar, غانا) or Awkar, was a West African empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali that existed from c. 300 until 1100. The Empire was founded by the Soninke people, ...

, which founded most of Mali's great cities. They then flourished in West Africa's two greatest civilisations the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...

and the

Songhai Empire The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical ...

Mosques of Mali

Mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s are a common architectural typology and building program present in Mali. Typically, mosques consist of a prayer space and a mausoleum, merging multiple stages of life into a singular place of worship. In Malian mosque design, the organization is straightforward. These mosques consist of a basic, centralized courtyard, framed by aisles. Prayer halls are located at the ends of this

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

. Many Malian mosques feature anthropomorphic characteristics that will interpret human bodily movements, typically mimicking praying figures and gestures. Aisles bordering the interior structure represent these bodily positions when one takes a prayer position. More specifically, the minaret represents the head. The centralized courtyard symbolizes the stomach. Galleries at the perimeter of the courtyard represent the feet. Lastly, the aisles serve as the arms.

Great Mosque of Djenné

The Great Mosque of Djenné was first built in the 13th century. It is an example of Sudano-Sahelian style and has been an integral part of the Malian community for almost a millennium.

Timbuktu

Timbuktu has many adobe and mud brick buildings but the most famous is the University. The masajids (mosques) of

Sankore Sankoré Madrasa (also called the University of Sankoré, or Sankore Masjid) is one of three ancient centers of learning located in Timbuktu, Mali. It is believed to be established by Mansa Musa, who was the ruler of the Mali Empire, though the S ...

Djinguereber The Djinguereber Mosque ( ar, مسجد دجينجيربر) in Timbuktu, Mali is a famous learning center of Mali built in 1327, and cited as Djingareyber or Djingarey Ber in various languages. Its design is accredited to Abu Ishaq Al Sahili ...

, and

Sidi Yahya Sidi Yahya may refer to: People *Arabic name of John the Baptist, who is a prophet in Islam. *Sidi Yaya Keita, Malian footballer Places Morocco *Sidi Yahya El Gharb, town in Kénitra Province * Sidi Yahya Ou Youssef, commune in Khénifra Provi ...

were the centres of learning in medieval Mali and produced some of the most famous works in Africa, the

Timbuktu Manuscripts Timbuktu Manuscripts (or Tombouctou Manuscripts) is a blanket term for the large number of historically significant manuscripts that have been preserved for centuries in private households in Timbuktu, a city in northern Mali. The collections in ...

. Timbuktu is a city in Mali with very distinguishable architecture. Most of the architecture present in this region is commentary on the history and evolution of human beings. These architectural mosques are organized in a manner referencing bodily movements. Common materials used in construction are natural, earthen materials that also pay homage to its ancestral presence. The “body acts as an organizational template for a building's interior layout.” Ultimately, these architectural forms are derived from an individual level but align with the cosmos, revealing an intricate spiritual system. Structurally speaking, the architecture has been redefined during the Sonhai reign. Protective, strong materials are utilized to protect the sun-brick adobe structures.

Architectural Materiality

Much of the materials in Mali are derived from its natural surroundings. Many structures are composed of basic earth materials which innately have effective thermodynamic qualities. These material choices allow structures to remain cool throughout the day and hot during the night. This is possible because the earth brick will absorb heat throughout the hot period of the day, then later radiate it to the interiors as the brick cools down overnight. Then, conversely, the cool brick will radiate into the interiors throughout the day, as the brick bakes in the sun. Wooden supports protruding is also a common, defining characteristic of the architecture of Mali. It provides scaffolding for annual replastering events of Mali architecture. These sticks protruding from the larger planes also enable moisture to be wicked away from these earthen bricks. In addition to this practicality of material choices, there is also symbolism at work. The points of structural intersection align with anatomical and spiritual ideologies present in this region.

References

* Elias N. Saad, ''Social History of Timbuktu: The Role of Muslim Scholars and Notables 1400–1900.'' Cambridge - London - New York 1985. * Shamil Jeppie & Souleymane Bachir Diagne (eds). ''The Meanings of Timbuktu''. HSRC Press: Cape Town, 2008
"The University of Sankore, Timbuktu"
Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation. {{Africa in topic, Architecture of