User:Rnayar20/Architecture of Mali

The architecture of Mali is a distinct subset of Sudano-Sahelian architecture indigenous to West Africa. It comprises adobe buildings such as the Great Mosque of Djenné or the University of Timbuktu. It can be found all over the Sahel region of Africa. Malian architecture developed during the Ghana Empire, which founded most of Mali's great cities. They then flourished in West Africa's two greatest civilisations the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire.

Climate

The climate, life and culture of Mali is one that heavily dictates its built environment. The architecture of cities in Mali, Djenné in particular, is specifically governed by the transition between its dry and rainy seasons. Unlike dry seasons, rainy seasons are characterized by water accumulation which begins to become a part of the landscape and leaves the region’s mud with a gray hue. In addition to moisture, seasons in Djenné are also characterized by temperature. Cold seasons preamble hot seasons which culminate to months of heavy rainfall. Building materials are henceforth reliant on the ever changing climate. Heavy walls and roofs are popular building elements of Djenné and its bordering regions. Moreover, sleeping outside during the hot season is common and an expectancy to continuously maintain mud constructions is encouraged.

Architectural Materiality

Much of the materials in Mali are derived from its natural surroundings. Many structures are composed of basic earth materials which innately have effective thermodynamic qualities. These material choices allow structures to remain cool throughout the day and hot during the night. This is possible because the earth brick will absorb heat throughout the hot period of the day, then later radiate it to the interiors as the brick cools down overnight. Then, conversely, the cool brick will radiate into the interiors throughout the day, as the brick bakes in the sun. Wooden supports protruding is also a common, defining characteristic of the architecture of Mali. It provides scaffolding for annual replastering events of Mali architecture. These sticks protruding from the larger planes also enable moisture to be wicked away from these earthen bricks. Seeing as this material is malleable and subject to quickened deterioration due to climate,  maintenance is of the utmost priority.

In addition to this practicality of material choices, there is also symbolism at work. The points of structural intersection align with anatomical and spiritual ideologies present in this region.

Construction Materials & Methods

Utilizing the environment near local waterways, earthen material contributes to the material make-up of different, vernacular Malian architecture across cities and regions including Djenne, Kobe, Bamako , Timbuktu, and Mopti. Though ranging in size, scale, and use, historical and local traditional structures are distinguishable by their use of mud and clay brick, wood, and stone. Methods of construction and visual aesthetics may vary across regions, through elements of construction traditionally include features such as walls punctured by apertures and doorways, roof, interior and exterior surfacing, foundations, and levels of surface ornamentation. Structures used for homes or every-day dwelling may feature one or two-stories which sport square or rectangular floorplans, roofs of thatch, or flat terraces which can be occupied by inhabitants for purposes such as sleeping.

It is common for Malians to refer to the earthen building material as a type of inherited debt that is to be paid back through constant manipulation and upkeep. Other materials present in Mali’s architectural history include stone, which most often manifests to dry stone walls, and wood, which due to its scarcity and its environmentally unethical quality, is no longer as prevalent. Unlike contemporary architecture, earthen architecture lacks permanence. It is willed into existence by the human body and due to its incredible fragility, depends on the human body for its continual maintenance. Earthen architecture has a tendency of becoming immaterial as it is susceptible to disintegrating back into the earth and turning back to its original form. Because of this, there exists a close relationship between the Malian people and their architecture as their bodies play a direct and vital role in the upkeep of their built environment.

Brick

Mud and clay bricks utilized in construction are not necessarily homogeneous mixtures, but can be made up of multiple, unique combinations of raw and treated materials including straw, dried powders from local plants, rice, rock and animal bone. As composites, these brick mixtures may carry different material characteristics which adapt to different building and construction goals. To ensure strength and climate resilience, testing by the builders using minor or simple wall structures may occur over a shorter timeline than that of a structure's construction.

Two known brick types – tabaabu ferey and djenne ferey– specify two historical methods and brick shapes seen in certain construction: Tabaabu ferey notably known for its rectangular form and mold-based production, and Djenne ferey for its cylindrical, hand-made form and vernacular origin. Used as major structural elements including for roofs and walls, both brick types may rely on some additional bracing from other materials such as wood, to mitigate the limitations of the sun-dried material.

Architects, Builders, & Masons

The jobs of architects, builders, and masons carry historical roots which often includes multiple generations, emphasizing the sharing in construction practices and knowledge through practice and teaching. With the case of early architects, this passing relied on familial and patriarchal designation. Builders and masons, on the other hand, historically and presently originate within the community, and are comprised primarily of men and young men apprentices, with elder builders acting as guides and teachers. On specific occasions, such as in the resurfacing of the Great Mosque of Djenne, women may also play a role in an architecture's construction, through aiding builders with collecting and/or moving important material.

With a family culture structured around masonry, the region of Djenné closely attaches itself to the construction technique. It is tradition that the skill is transferred from father to son or through extended family yet it is also possible to become a qualified mason with a training of four-six years. This training  typically begins at the ripe age of 15 with some starting even younger than that. More generally, the extraordinary nature of Djenné’s masonry can be attributed to the framework through which it is organized within. Masons are organized in a guild which is coordinated by masons with the greatest skillset. These elder masons oversee and essentially control the quality of the work that is produced.

Tools used by masons under traditional apprenticeships also become extensions of the social framework within the guilds, as young masons graduate to different tools, and therefor different construction techniques, as they complete their training. Such tools, ranging from trowels to plumb-lines, may be earned through shows of skill by the apprentice to elder builders, and denote them moving closer to becoming recognized as masons.

Dogon Villages

The Dogon Villages are home to the Dogon People in the districts of Bandiagara and Douentza in Mali. The region is bisected by the Bandiagara Escarpment and the overall organization of the village landscape is defined by strategically placed architectural structures that host the many religious practices that take place within the community.

Togu Na

The Togu Na is one of the most characterizing public structures of the Dogon Village and serves as a meeting house for men to assemble and discuss village affairs. The structure plays an important role in social organization, and acts as a symbol of patriarchal hierarchy as the village leader typically picks a site located in a centralized spot at the foot of the cliffs. The low hanging flat roof dictates a shallow interior height, which forces community members to sit in meetings so as to not provoke aggressive behavior while elders settle disputes between them. The edifice traditionally has a thick roof supported by a total of eight pillars covered in emblems of Dogon Culture such as the hunter, the blanket of dead, and the masks. These graphic elements are re-appropriated each year by locals as a way of preserving identity and to give tourists an opportunity to photograph and share Dogon traditions, and the structure is usually rebuilt every ten to twenty-five years.

Yapunu Ginu

The Yapunu Ginu, the Women's House, is a special building reserved for menstruating women and is often encircled by stones, symbolizing the perceived impurity of the place. Due to the fact that the house stands as an emblem of the reproductive cycle, the walls are covered with male and female figurines that illustrate the creation of life and family. Women have a designated space within the house to store cooking utensils, highlighting the value of domesticity and the distribution of gender roles in the community. These place-bound activities are emphasized by the interior layout of the houses throughout the village.

The Compound

The Dogon Home refers to an enclosed domestic space that is occupied by a family. When a newlywed couple first inhabits a compound a number of domestic fixtures are put in place, and tasks are divided according to male and female specific activities in the household. The stove and the water jug are fixed by the woman as way of signifying the connection between the woman and her domestic duties, while the men fix the bed and baga tanu fork as a way if asserting stability of the home. Since the compound is built around the intimate nature of domestic activity, it is often protected by physical and magical items at the entrance to the rooms to prevent night intruders, evil spirits and snakes.

Timbuktu

Timbuktu has many adobe and mud brick buildings but the most famous is the University. The masajids (mosques) of Sankore, Djinguereber, and Sidi Yahya were the centres of learning in medieval Mali and produced some of the most famous works in Africa, the Timbuktu Manuscripts.

Timbuktu is a city in Mali with very distinguishable architecture. Most of the architecture present in this region is commentary on the history and evolution of human beings. These architectural mosques are organized in a manner referencing bodily movements. Common materials used in construction are natural, earthen materials that also pay homage to its ancestral presence. The “body acts as an organizational template for a building’s interior layout.” Ultimately, these architectural forms are derived from an individual level but align with the cosmos, revealing an intricate spiritual system.

Structurally speaking, the architecture has been redefined during the Sonhai reign. Protective, strong materials are utilized to protect the sun-brick adobe structures.

Mosques of Mali

Mosques are a common architectural typology and building program present in Mali. Typically, mosques consist of a prayer space and a mausoleum, merging multiple stages of life into a singular place of worship. In Malian mosque design, the organization is straightforward. These mosques consist of a basic, centralized courtyard, framed by aisles. Prayer halls are located at the ends of this courtyard. Many Malian mosques feature anthropomorphic characteristics that will interpret human bodily movements, typically mimicking praying figures and gestures. Aisles bordering the interior structure represent these bodily positions when one takes a prayer position. More specifically, the minaret represents the head. The centralized courtyard symbolizes the stomach. Galleries at the perimeter of the courtyard represent the feet. Lastly, the aisles serve as the arms.

Great Mosque of Djenné

The Great Mosque of Djenné was first built in the 13th century. Although the actual date of construction of the first mosque remains unknown, scholars have speculated it was the early 13^th century when King Koi Konboro, the first Muslim sultan, ruled. Located in the oldest known city of Sub Saharan Africa, The Mosque is presumed to be the world’s largest extant mud structure and place of Muslim prayer. As an example of Sudano-Sahelian style it has been an integral part of the Malian community for almost a millennium, and has remained a focal point around which the Djenné society, identity and knowledge has been continually reinforced.

The archaeological site of the Mosque and the contemporary mud town of Djenné were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1988, and the classification stipulated that all buildings in the town be constructed from mud brick with no material changes, in order to keep the renowned World Heritage status. The maintenance of the mosque is largely attributed to an annual festival called the Crepissage de la Grand Mosquée, which involves the whole community coming together to replaster and reinforce the mosque. The immense task ensures that the mosque’s structural integrity and heritage remains intact over decades, while the festival represents the communal harmony that exists amongst the residents of Djenné.

Historical Value

Traditional architecture in Mali reflects the culture and geography of its region. Adobe structures are celebrated as quintessential exponents of the local architectural practices and a common basis for the development of other designs. Historically, Malian architecture is often studied alongside neighboring architectural cultures of West African tradition, including Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso. Earthenware-based constructions have constituted a daily sight common to urban landscapes across these nations for ages. Meanwhile, further study on external influences on traditional Mali architecture has been subject to scholarly scrutiny. While long believed to have been heavily influenced by Muslim cultures of North Africa, Malian architecture demonstrates several traces of an idiosyncratic architecture strongly rooted in its immediate vicinity and Saharan vernacular. The academic Western eye has traditionally cast the “myth” of the Andalusian Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Sahili as the man responsible for bringing the North African and Islamic architectural tradition to Mali and West Africa and forever bequeathing a lasting image over the latter’s architectural landscape. However, the Africanist scholar Suzan Aradeon defends the evidence undermining the unquestioned extent of al-Sahili’s influence on Malian architecture, highlighting the much stronger features of West African tradition in Malian architecture, in contrast to more northern styles.

Malian architecture is distinguished by the use of earthen adobe, present ubiquitously from simple rural houses to the Great Mosque of Djenné, reflecting this construction method’s versatility of form. In fact, this versatility has become the focus of renewed modern interest, as this traditional mode of construction ironically showcases the targets of multiple contemporary endeavors in architecture, i.e., environmental sustainability, aesthetic form, and public engagement. Furthermore, as a degradable material, public interest and engagement must be paramount features of this architectural form, as the earthen adobe is vulnerable to both the eternal wear of weather conditions as well as to the threatening market of Western technology.

References

• Elias N. Saad, Social History of Timbuktu: The Role of Muslim Scholars and Notables 1400–1900. Cambridge - London - New York 1985.
• Shamil Jeppie & Souleymane Bachir Diagne (eds). The Meanings of Timbuktu. HSRC Pess: Cape Town, 2008
• "The University of Sankore, Timbuktu". Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation.
• Aradeon, Suzan B. “Al-Sahili : The Historian's Myth of Architectural Technology Transfer from North Africa.” Journal des africanistes 59, no. 1 (1989): 99–131. https://doi.org/10.3406/jafr.1989.2279.
• Blier, Suzanne Preston., Morris, James, 1963., Morris, James., Morris, Jan. Butabu : adobe architecture of West Africa. United Kingdom: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004.