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

Source: UNESCO and ALIPH to rehabilitate Mali’s Bandiagara World Heritage site and support conflict-affected communities

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

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.

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Photo: Silicon India

Source: World Best Trekking Place Ever Found On Earth

Photo: Timm Guenther

Where tourist sites meet travel warnings.

Source: Back to Mali: A Country Suffers From the Single Story of Danger