The Great Mosque of Djenne'
It was during the middle ages that this Mosque originally became one of the most important Islamic learning centers in Africa. It’s said that thousands of students would come here to learn the Quran in the city of Djenne’. Apart from that, the Mosque has over-time become not only the city’s center of religion, but a center of cultural living as well.
It’s said that this Great Mosque was built in the thirteenth century. According to legend, it was built by the twenthy-sixth ruler of the city of Djenne; King Koi Konboro, who is also believed to be the city’s first Muslim King. The mosque itself is rectangular in shape. Inside, you will find the Prayer Hall covered by earthen roof. The roof is supported by ninety wooden pillars & an open courtyard. The prayer hall itself, is said to likely fit up to 3,000 people. Also being where their Imam leads in prayer, there’s the prayer wall (known as a Qibla), which faces east toward Mecca.
More recently, This Great Mosque of Djenne is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, & has been so since 1988. This comes with a set of it’s own obsticles & challenges.
Challenges
It’s said that under UN rules for World Heritage Sites, home owners of the city are prevented the opportunity to modernize. Their honorable heritage requires that even their homes remain as the tradition of it’s original design.
The people of Djenne are honored of the towns reknown for it’s great mosque, however they also feel that home owners should be able to make what ever changes to the interior of their homes as they desire. It’s been said that although they take pride in the tradition of these homes, they feel as if they’re just pieces in a museum designed to entertain their tourists.
With learning these things about the beautiful culture of Djenne, it couldn’t help but remind me in many ways, the experience of “Black America”. The issue with being Black in America however, is that despite all that black people have done & do to contribute to the development of this dream, Black people remain “under-developed” & dependent on a dream in a way that other’s were not subject to here in this same land. It was never the case that Black people were ever un-capable of achieving what many others have made of this dream. But what is found more than often is a lack in guidance. More than occasionally black people will find themselves getting caught up in someone else’s dream rather than building a new one.
After just three or four rainstorms, it’s said that every building, including the Great Mosque of Djenne, requires constant tending to it’s upkeeping. It should come at no suprise that masonry apprenticeship has become such a vital trade to the city of Djenne. All of their work is done by hand, & often times, you can even see the hand marks on the bricks.
Methods of traditional restoration of the Great Mosque alone is a very costly project. It’s said to be a nine-hundred thousand dollar funded project, however, there is no such investments for the local home owners.
Again, this isn’t to paint the wrong narrative about the people of Djenne & who they are. Every contribution adds to the accomplishments of what makes them a World Heritage Site. I without a doubt see the resilience of the people of Djenne in their will to maintain the honor of their city. But just like with being Black in America, its within me to see that we have an even HIGHER calling. & the resilience alike I see as a witness of our capability to that call. However these are not things that will likely happen over-night.
Finding a resolution for the city of Djenne doesn’t seem to be as simple as it appears. One man says, “we have to try to find ways to evolve this architecture & bring it back to the necessities of life for the community.”
& while this is true, another man says, “If you destroy the history that tourist come to visit, if you throw out two thousand years of history, if you destroy all that, the city will lose it’s soul.”
However, with the challenges that comes with being a World Heritage Site, this call to action also brings in it’s own cultural vibrance & collectivity to the city of Djenne as a result. For example, they have their festival of the Crepissage de la Grand Mosquee, where the people of Djenne will come together, re-plastering the Great Mosque as a Beloved piece of their Malian Culture & Heritage. The resilience of an honorable people personified.