In Gourma, large rock formations, dunes, plains, waterholes and lakes shape the landscape. The area covers around 83,000 km² and is home to elephants. Landscape and wildlife exist side by side here, while rivers and historic cultural sites offer further perspectives on Mali.
Elephants and Landscapes in Gourma
The Gourma Elephant Biodiversity Reserve is home to a remnant population of around 350 elephants. It is considered the only place in the Sahel where elephants can be found. The animals’ annual migration follows the area’s major waterholes. Waterholes are therefore not only part of the landscape but also points of reference for elephant migration.
Bandiagara: Landscape and Traditions
The Bandiagara site is an outstanding landscape of cliffs and sandy plateaus, with houses, granaries, altars, sanctuaries and Togu Na, communal meeting places. The cultural landscape of the Cliff of Bandiagara, also known as the Land of the Dogons, covers 400,000 hectares and includes 289 villages. Landforms and communal architecture are equally integral to this cultural landscape.
The centuries-old traditions of the Bandiagara region include masks, festivals, rituals and ceremonies involving ancestor worship. These complement the buildings and landscape with forms of cultural expression. Rituals and ceremonies are as much a part of the region as its striking cliffs and communal spaces.
Architecture and History in Gao, Timbuktu and Djenné
In Gao, Askia Mohamed had the 17-metre-high, pyramid-shaped Tomb of Askia built in 1495. The complex includes the tomb, two flat-roofed mosques, a mosque cemetery and an open-air assembly ground. The tomb thus stands alongside religious buildings and a space used by the community.
In Timbuktu, the three great mosques of Djingareyber, Sankoré and Sidi Yahia, sixteen mausoleums and sacred public places bear witness to the city’s former importance. The mosques are considered outstanding examples of earthen architecture and traditional maintenance techniques that continue to this day. Sankoré University also offers a glimpse of the educational landscape of the time: it was associated with 180 Quranic schools and 25,000 students.
Djenné developed into a market centre and was an important link in the trans-Saharan gold trade. The city’s artistic and craft heritage includes sculpture, jewellery making, shoemaking, weaving and pottery. Traditional cultural events include communal fishing and canoe races. Trade, crafts and communal traditions thus offer different ways to explore the city’s history.
Rivers and Life on the Water
The rivers Niger, at 1,700 km, and Senegal, at 800 km, run through Mali. On the Niger, river tourism options include jet ski trips, boat excursions and cruises. In Mopti, pirogue trips along the Niger and Bani offer insights into the camps of the Bozo and Peul and life along the river. Alongside other forms of river tourism, a pirogue trip also shows a tangible connection between the river landscape and life on its banks.
Malian Street Food
Malian street food includes skewers, bean fritters and roasted peanuts, as well as fresh drinks made with ginger, bissap or tamarind. The selection ranges from light bites to drinks made with different ingredients. Together with the landscapes, river trips and historic sites, the cuisine offers another perspective on the range of experiences that may interest you on a trip through Mali.
For trip planning, it helps to choose a main focus: would you like to concentrate on nature and elephants in Gourma, river life on pirogue trips in Mopti, or the cultural heritage of Bandiagara, Gao, Timbuktu and Djenné?
Discover more destinations: Koulikoro Region, Mopti, Ségou, Sikasso Region, Slovakia, Belgium, Comoros, Ukraine.
