In Djenné, Mali’s UNESCO-listed mud-brick town, heritage is becoming a burden for locals battling poverty, insecurity, and climate change. Djenné, one of Mali’s oldest towns, dates back to before 250 BC. While the town’s famed architecture—crowned by the Great Mosque, the largest earthen mosque in the world—is celebrated globally, residents are questioning the cost of preserving tradition. The reason is simple: centuries-old building techniques used to maintain the town require yearly upkeep, which has become harder due to extreme weather and rising material costs. With tourism in decline and daily survival at stake, some are demanding the freedom to build with concrete. Yet such changes can bring legal consequences. Meanwhile, a petition to delist the town has drawn thousands of signatures, with Djenné’s inhabitants requesting the freedom to, at the very least, build their own homes with concrete.
Bloomberg
