2001 Photo Contest, Arts and Entertainment, 2nd prize
Photographer

Christien Jaspars

Panos Pictures

01 May, 1998

Girls ascend the stairs of the mosque as quickly as they can in order to bring water to mix with mud for the restoration festival. The great mosque of Djenné is considered a masterpiece of traditional adobe architecture. Djenné itself is one of the oldest towns in Africa, and has been on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1988. The re-plastering of the mosque is an annual event. Each year during the rainy season the thin outer layer is washed away, and has to be replaced to protect the building from deterioration.

About the photographer

Christien Jaspars

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