Around the world · Drawing 18 of 32
Earthen Architecture in Djenné
Mali · Africa
In Djenné, the Great Mosque has walls made of earth. Pillars, towers and small pieces of wood repeat across its front.
Did you know?
Every year, the townspeople gather to cover its walls with a new layer of mud.
Look together
Can you find the three large towers?
An idea to try
Draw a house using only rounded shapes.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Masons in Djenné use earthen bricks and mud plaster. Collective care for the Great Mosque helps continue these skills. The drawing simplifies the buttresses and wooden pieces, offering a respectful exterior view of a place of worship.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified interpretation for colouring. Settings and people may be composed; details, distances and proportions are not a measured record of the place. The map dot gives only an approximate location.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- UNESCO Urban Heritage Atlas: Old Towns of DjennéPlace, landscape or monument and the factual explanation on this page.
Page prepared on October 2, 2026. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
This drawing is from the book Around the World to Colour
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