Djenné, small town in central Mali, used to be an important caravan stop of trans-Sahara trading. Djenné is not only famous for its history, but also for its unique clay houses, which are still in perfect condition. The most important building is the Great Mosque, the largest building in the world from mud bricks. The mosque is very elegant and it represents Sahel architectural style (Sudanese style). Surprisingly the Great Mosque was built in 1907. It was built as an exact copy of Great Mosque built in 1280 by the 26th King of Djenné Koi Konboro when he converted to Islam. The Great Mosque was very famous through the whole Islamic world, but in 19th century it was destroyed by King Cheikou Amadou, fundamental Muslim cleric.
However the town is not fully protected from rains, which is not good for clay houses. Every year, when the rain season finishes, all the houses including the Great Mosque, has to be repaired. More than 4000 volunteers are coming to help to repair the Mosque. To shorten the process, they are using wooden reinforcement as a climbing tree.
Djenné is located in central Mali, about 400km east of capital Bamako. Town Djenné together with the Great Mosque are listed under UNESCO World Heritage Site from 1988.
