The Great Mosque of Djenne is the largest mud-brick building in the world and one of the best-known landmarks of West Africa. It stands in the old trading city of Djenne in central Mali, on the floodplain of the Bani River. An earlier mosque on the site dates back to the thirteenth century, but fell into ruin, and the present structure was built in 1907 under French colonial rule in the Sudano-Sahelian style, with its distinctive pillars topped by pinnacles. Every year the community gathers to re-plaster the walls with fresh mud, an event that is both a necessary repair and a festival. Along with the old town of Djenne, the mosque is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Before and after
- 1907Construction of Palacio de Cibeles
- 1907Construction of Imperial College London
- 1907Rise of cubism
- 1907Founding of Fenerbahçe Istanbul
- 1907Construction of Great Mosque of Djenné
- from 1907 to 1909Harden–Eulenburg affair
- 1907Rise of scouting
- 1907Founding of Real Betis Balompié
- 20 January 1907Death of Dmitri Mendeleev
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1792Publication of La Marseillaise
- 5 May 1821Founding of The Guardian
- 7 May 1824Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premieres
- 7 April 1837Publication of The Little Mermaid
- c. 1860sImpressionism
- 19 March 1882Construction of Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.