3-077-386 - Shirley Markham Collection/Heritage Images

Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali, 1989. The largest adobe brick building in the world, the Great Mosque is considered the preeminent example of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. Dating from the 13th century CE, it has been a centre for Islamic knowledge for centuries. The present building was constructed c1907. It is replastered annually by the inhabitants of Djenné, as part of a festival called the Crepissage de la Grand Mosquée. As the exterior naturally erodes from the elements each year, it becomes necessary to maintain its integrity with this replastering. The entire town is listed as a World Heritage Site in Danger.