Mali is one of Africa’s most under-rated travel destinations, but thanks to government initiatives to focus on the development of infrastructure and sustainable tourism that could soon change. Mali boasts four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Timbuktu, the Bandiagara Escarpment, Djenné and the Tomb of Askia.
- Most English-speaking people think of Timbuktu as the other side of nowhere, although many would be hard-pressed to tell you where the unlikely tourist destination is located. Timbuktu used to be an important trading post on the ancient trans-Saharan caravan route. It still receives thousands of camel caravans every year as traders come from the Taoudenni salt mines to sell their wares. Between the 1400s and 1500s it also served as the country’s intellectual and spiritual centre. While it is currently under threat from the encroaching desert, it retains three historically important mosques: Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia.
- The Bandiagara Escarpment is home to the Dogon tribes, which make their homes on the mountain cliffs. The mountains are made of sandstone and contain some of the country’s most important archaeological, ethnological and geological sites. Local guides take tour groups to see the Dogon villages up on the mountains, where life has changed little since the tribes first settled there. Tourism in the region is currently poorly regulated, but in an effort to curb the exploitation of ancient sites and to preserve archaeological artefacts, the government is trying out various management plans.
- Djenné is the oldest known city in sub-Saharan Africa; it’s difficult to fix a founding date as estimations vary from 250 BC to 800 AD. It was an important spiritual location but is now more commonly used as an agricultural trade centre. Nevertheless, it is home to the Great Mosque – a massive building made from sturdy sun-baked mud bricks. The bricks ensure that the mosque, which can accommodate up to 3000 people, is cool during the oppressively hot days and warm during the sometimes frigid nights. The mosque is replastered annually just before the spring festival, but regular maintenance is done throughout the year to ensure that it isn’t ravaged by the elements.
- The pyramidal Tomb of Askia stands 17m high and is a testament to the architectural style that once dominated West Africa. It was commissioned by Askia Mohamed, who was the Emperor of Songhai in the late 15th century. The tomb is part of a complex that also includes two flat-roofed mosques, a cemetery and assembly ground. As with other structures of that time, it is made from mud bricks and mud plaster.
Over time Mali is shaking off its reputation as a back-of-beyond destination. As the government continues to make every effort to attract more tourists, more people are coming to realise that the country is far more exotic than Timbuktu makes it sound.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
