Residents of the city of Djenne participated in yearly rendering of the ancient Great Mosque, the centuries-old epicenter of religious and cultural life in Mali.
Thousands of people gather each year to replaster the walls of the city of Djenné’s Great Mosque, the largest mud building on earth, The Guardian reported.
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The entire community renders the unique mosque with banco – a mixture of soil, water, rice bran, shea butter and baobab powder – which protects the building from both erosion, caused by torrential rains, and cracks and fissures inflicted by hot weather.
The city of Djenne along with Timbuktu played a crucial role in the expansion of Islam deep into the African continent.
Starting from the 13th century, the city became a commercial hotspot linked to key trade routes stretching from the shores of West Africa all the way to the Mediterranean coast and the Middle East.