Embedded Files
by Blaise Thompson-Chin
Djenne terracottas
The Djenne terracotta's are a crucial part of the art in the Mali empire. The Djenne terracotta's, which can currently be found in the national African museum of art, are tiny terracotta sculptures of warriors. They are seen with bow and arrows on their backs and knives strapped to their left arms. The sculptures were found near Djenne in the inland delta area of the Niger region, which was the heart of the Mali empire. The sculptures are speculated to be from the 13th-15th centuries.
Great mosque of Djenne
One of the greatest accomplishments of the Mali empire was its art and architecture. A beautiful example of this is the great mosque of Djenne. The great mosque of Djenne, currently located in the city of Djenne, is the largest adobe brick building in the world, standing at 246 feet tall. The actual construction of the first mosque in Djenne is currently unknown, but many speculate it may have been anywhere between 1200-1330 century. The earliest document mentioning the mosque was the Tarikh Al Sudan written by Abd al-Sadi. The Tarikh al Sudan gives the history of the mosque and the story of how its been built up through the years. The document states that Sultan Kunburu (a malian sultan) became a muslim and had his palace torn down in order to replace it with a mosque. He then built himself another palace near the east side, which was followed by his immediate successors who built the towers and the following sultan who built the surrounding wall.
Page updated
Report abuse