Photo: AFP
Insecurity Puts Mali’s Historic Djenné Mosque at Risk; Annie Risemberg; Voice of America
Mali receives a “symbolic euro” in token reparation for damage on Timbuktu heritage; Africa News
Source: Mali receives a “symbolic euro” in token reparation for damage on Timbuktu heritage
Mali, UNESCO to Receive a ‘Symbolic Euro’ for Timbuktu Heritage Destruction; The Wire
This gesture is the outcome of a 2017 judgment by the ICC on Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi.
Source: Mali, UNESCO to Receive a ‘Symbolic Euro’ for Timbuktu Heritage Destruction
These 6 African Heritage Sites Could Be Destroyed by Climate Change; Khanyi Mlaba; Global Citizen
Africa could lose 6 heritage sites because of climate change…
Source: These 6 African Heritage Sites Could Be Destroyed by Climate Change
UNESCO will restore Mali’s conflict-hit Bandiagara site; AFP
UNESCO will restore the world heritage site of Bandiagara, in central Mali, which has been hit hard by the country’s long-running conflict.
Source: UNESCO will restore Mali’s conflict-hit Bandiagara site
UNESCO and ALIPH to rehabilitate Mali’s Bandiagara World Heritage site and support conflict-affected communities; Unesco
Why War-Torn Mali Is Looking to China to Revive Tourism; Anna Pujol-Mazzini; Time
With four UNESCO World Heritage sites, Mali used to be one of Africa’s top tourist destinations…
Source: Why War-Torn Mali Is Looking to China to Revive Tourism
Rendering Ceremony of the Historic Grand Mosque in Mali; Al Bawaba
Several thousand residents of the historic central Malian city of Djenne, a UNESCO World Heritage site, took part in the annual rendering ceremony of the Grand Mosque, which will now be powered by solar electricity. The rendering of the building with banco (a mixture of soil and water, with rice bran, shea butter and baobab powder) made by the city’s inhabitants, helps to protect the mosque from bad weather ahead of the rainy season. The Grand Mosque in the Malian city of Djenne described as “the largest adobe…
Source: Rendering Ceremony of the Historic Grand Mosque in Mali | Al Bawaba
Mali: Thousands take part in annual Grand mosque plaster; AFP
The city of Djenne in Central Mali has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage list since 1988.
Source: Mali: Thousands take part in annual Grand mosque plaster
Technology in sub-Saharan Cultures; Khaleel Shaikh; The Muslim Times
Genetic and paleontological findings have concluded that Africa is the birthplace of the entire human race. Africa is often thought of as a continent rich in natural beauty and…
British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme sheds new light on the history of Africa and Islam; Nick Leech; The National
Beyond Timbuktu: Preserving the Manuscripts of Djenne, Mali is a new initiative from the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme…
Source: British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme sheds new light on the history of Africa and Islam
See the Striking Earthen City of Timbuktu; National Geographic
This West African city—long synonymous with the uttermost end of the Earth—was added to the World Heritage List in 1988, many centuries after its apex.Timbuktu was a center of Islamic scholarship under several African empires, home to a 25,000-student university and other madrasahs that served as wellsprings for the spread of Islam throughout Africa from the 13th to 16th centuries. Sacred Muslim texts, in bound editions, were carried great distances to Timbuktu for the use of eminent scholars from Cairo, Baghdad, Persia, and elsewhere who were in residence at the city. The great teachings of Islam, from astronomy and mathematics to medicine and law, were collected and produced here in several hundred thousand manuscripts. Many of them remain, though in precarious condition, to form a priceless written record of African history. Read more here.
Meet the scientists immortalizing African heritage in virtual reality; Chris Giles; CNN
Mali – Old Towns of Djenné
(CNN)The archaeological wonders of the world offer a rich window into the past. But many are crumbling, weed-laden and victim to vandalism and conflict.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as those in Libya and Mali, have been caught in the crossfire of regional disputes.
Concerned with the decay of African heritage sites, The Zamani Project, based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, is seeking to immortalize historic spots in three-dimensional, virtual reality-ready models.
Professor Heinz Ruther steers the project. He ventures up and down the continent — visiting Ghana, Tanzania, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya and elsewhere — recording in remarkable detail the structure and condition of tombs, churches and other buildings.
“I’ve seen how sites are deteriorating visibly,” Ruther told CNN.
The project’s aim is to build a database of complex, lifelike 3-D models. Presently, they’ve mapped around 16 sites.
Timbuktu’s mausoleums, ancient city protectors; Oman Observer
Mali – Timbuktu
The shrines of Muslim saints in Timbuktu in northern Mali are widely believed to protect the fabled city from danger, but were largely destroyed by radical Islamists in 2012.
What You Need To Know About Mali’s 5-Century Monument, “Tomb of Askia”; Philip; How Africa News
Mali – Tomb of Askia
The Tomb of Askia, in Gao, Mali, is believed to be the burial place of Askia Mohammad I, one of the Songhai Empire’s most prolific emperors. It was built at the end of the fifteenth century and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Tomb of Askia is a secular monument that shares both the cultural and religious heritage of Mali.
The pyramid-shaped tomb also functions as a Mosque and is located in the northern town of Gao.
The archaeological site was built by Askia Mohammad I, a famous emperor of Songhai who reigned between the 15th and 16th century.
It is his burial place as Mohamed Soumaïlou Traoré, a cultural animator explains. “It is known as the Tomb of Askia, as a mosque, because Askia himself is buried here. Many of his sons, grandchildren, daughters are buried here.
11 Vernacular Building Techniques on the Verge of Extinction; Ariana Zilliacus; ArchDaily
Mali – Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)
“Vernacular architecture can be said to be ‘the architectural language of the people’ with its ethnic, regional, and local ‘dialects,’” writes Paul Oliver, author of The Encyclopaedia of Vernacular Architecture of The World. Unfortunately, there has been a growing disregard for traditional architectural language around the world due to modern building technology quickly spreading a “loss of identity and cultural vibrancy” through what the Architectural Review recently described as “a global pandemic of generic buildings.”
People have come to see steel, concrete, and glass as architecture of high quality, whereas a lot of vernacular methods including adobe, reed, or peat moss are often associated with underdevelopment. Ironically, these local methods are far more sustainable and contextually aware than much contemporary architecture seen today, despite ongoing talks and debates about the importance of sustainability.
Saving Timbuktu: rebuilding history in Africa’s ancient city; Brand South Africa
Timbuktu was once one of Africa’s greatest cities, but centuries of war, colonial rule and, more recently, radical terrorism has taken a toll on its historic buildings. Now, thanks to efforts by Unesco and the town’s citizens, these important buildings are being restored to their former glory.
Source: Saving Timbuktu: rebuilding history in Africa’s ancient city | Brand South Africa
World Best Trekking Place Ever Found On Earth; Silicon India
Photo: Silicon India
Timbuktu: portrait of a city on the edge of existence – in pictures; Sean Smith; Guardian
What is life like in Mali’s ‘city in the middle of nowhere’? Guardian photographer Sean Smith recently spent a week there, meeting everyone from Timbuktu’s chief muezzin to its only DJ…
Source: Timbuktu: portrait of a city on the edge of existence – in pictures
In photos: Saving Timbuktu’s treasures from extinction; Larisa Epatko; PBS
When Islamist militants took control of northern Mali in 2012, they left their mark by vandalizing the sacred sites of Timbuktu. Now, an international effort is underway to repair the damages.
Source: In photos: Saving Timbuktu’s treasures from extinction
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