ArchitectureNorth

Sudanese-style mud mosques of the north

Mosquées de style soudanais

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Eight Sudanese-style mud mosques in the north, at Tengréla, Kouto, Sorobango, Samatiguila, Nambira, Kong, Kaouara and elsewhere, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021. The protruding stakes are both structure and scaffolding for the yearly re-plastering.

The style began in Djenné, Mali, and was carried south along the trade routes by Mandé merchants seeking kola nuts and gold, a testament to the blending of Senufo and Malinké cultures. In the 1920s there were nearly 300 such mosques; only about 20 remain.

CE QUE VOUS VERREZ · What you will see

A low, solid, earth-coloured mosque with a pyramid-shaped minaret and wooden stakes sticking out of its walls like a hedgehog.

POURQUOI · So what

They show that northern Côte d'Ivoire is part of Saharan civilisation, and remind people that the country is more than its coast and cocoa.

SAVOIR-FAIRE · How to use it

A good topic for getting closer to friends from the north. For Asian guests, 'Africa has its own tradition of Islamic architecture' breaks stereotypes.

Asian and European parallelsCompare earthen architecture along the Silk Road, or the Japanese practice of periodic rebuilding at Ise, where renewal keeps a building alive.

Where to experience itKong, Kouto, Tengréla and other northern towns; usually combined with a trip to Korhogo.

On these routes

Three Days of Northern Craft: Korhogo and Senufo Land