Thousands Join Annual Ritual to Replaster Mali’s Iconic Great Mosque of Djenne

Thousands of Malians gathered this past weekend to participate in the annual replastering of the world’s largest mud-brick building – the Great Mosque of Djenne, Africanews reported yesterday.

This crucial ritual maintains the integrity of the historic structure, which has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger list since 2016.

The mosque and surrounding town, a center of Islamic learning, have faced threats from conflict between Islamist rebels, government forces and other groups. Each year before the rainy season starts in June, a new layer of mud must be applied or the building will fall into disrepair.

“The plastering of the mosque is a symbol of peace. The poor, the rich, everyone is here for this activity,” said Amadou Ampate Cisse, a Djenne resident participating in the event. “We will continue this tradition from generation to generation.”

However, insecurity has threatened the annual ritual, with Moussa Moriba Diakité, head of Djenne’s cultural mission, noting, “A lot of people talk about insecurity, and we hear that we can’t come to Djenne because there is insecurity.”

Despite the disappearance of Djenne’s tourism industry, Diakité said the maintenance of the mosque must continue “at any cost” to preserve Mali’s cultural heritage.