Mali
Great Mosque of Djenné
Welcome to Djenné, Mali! This enormous mosque is built almost entirely out of mud, and every single year, the whole town comes together to give it a fresh new coat.
Why is it famous?
It's the largest mud-brick building anywhere in the world, standing about 16 meters (52 feet) tall.
Its walls are covered in tall, spiky points and rows of wooden sticks poking straight out, giving it a shape unlike any other building on Earth.
How was it built?
Builders made the bricks from a mix called banco — clay, water, and rice husks, all shaped by hand and dried in the sun.
The wooden sticks poking out of the walls, called torons, aren't just decoration — they work as a built-in ladder for climbing up during repairs.
Amazing facts
Every year before the rainy season, the entire town gathers for a huge festival to re-plaster the mosque with fresh mud, or it would slowly wash away.
Kids join in the festival too, racing to carry mud and cheering as the mosque gets its yearly glow-up.
Quick facts
- Every year before the rainy season, the entire town gathers for a huge festival to re-plaster the mosque with fresh mud, or it would slowly wash away.
- Kids join in the festival too, racing to carry mud and cheering as the mosque gets its yearly glow-up.
- Ostrich eggs sit on top of the mosque's tall towers, believed to bring good fortune.
- Inside, 90 giant pillars hold up the roof like a forest of columns.