Africa's most "local" cultural practices
The ancient city of Djene, known by the world as the "gem of the Niger River Valley", is located at the southernmost tip of the Niger River Delta in central Mali. It is the gateway from the Sahara to Africa and a legendary city in the hearts of desert people. The Grand Mosque in Jene is the largest earthen building in the world, and the earthen houses in Jene City all seem to come from a dream.
The ancient city of Jene, known for its unique Saharan Sudanese architectural style, was founded in 800 AD. It is adjacent to the Sahara and the rainy Sudanese region, and is located at the switching point between nomadic areas and fixed settlements. The ancient city is famous in the Islamic community and sub-Saharan tropical Africa for its splendid Islamic culture and its most popular Moorish architecture. It is a city rich in precious historical and cultural value.
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There are several parts here: Laocheng District, Kanyana, Tonomba and Genet. Famous Moorish buildings are scattered throughout the city, making the whole city look unique and elegant, with strong ancient style.
The main body of Jene's landscape-the most representative building-is the incomparable Grand Mosque, the largest clay building in the world. It was built in 1280 when King Jene believed in Islam. Later, the Grand Mosque was rebuilt, covering an area of 6375 square meters and a building area of 3025 square meters. The entire building was built without a single brick or stone, but was all built with a local clay. It is the largest remaining soil building in the world. For tourists who are used to seeing reinforced concrete, this gives people an appropriate, natural and unpretentious affinity. World Customs Network, or it can be said that it is the most visually harmonious building in Africa.
The biggest shortcoming of this ancient city is that it cannot resist the erosion of rain. Therefore, after the rainy season in October every year, people are pasting a new layer of mud on the mud walls in the city, and all the work is done by the men at home. In order to protect the Grand Mosque, a mud-smearing competition is held here every year. Men, women and children in Jene climb ladders and rush to smear mud on the cracks in the mosque. Although there is no reward for this competition, the first person to finish wiping the mud at the top of the mountain can be rewarded. Respect, this is the biggest reward. This kind of competition not only protected the Grand Mosque, but also formed a culture in the ancient city of Jene.
