The Great Mosque of Niono (French: Grande Mosquée du Vendredi de Niono) is an architecturally significant mosque located in the city of Niono, in the Ségou Region of southern Mali. It is a Sudano-Sahelian architectural style building made mostly of mud brick, palm tree wood, and clay mortar.[1]
Great Mosque of Niono | |
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Grande Mosquée du Vendredi de Niono | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
Location | |
Location | Niono, Ségou, Mali |
Geographic coordinates | 14°15′02.6″N 5°59′59.7″W / 14.250722°N 5.999917°W |
Architecture | |
Type | mosque |
Date established | 1948 |
Completed | 1973 |
Site area | 1,800 m2 |
Site description
The mosque was first constructed in 1948 by a team of bricklayers native to Djenne led by Lassiné Minta. To accommodate the growing population of Niono, it was given a few major expansions, the last of which was completed in 1973.[2] Today, it occupies 1,800 square meters and includes a main room that spans 658 square meters and a women's prayer hall that spans two floors. It has a main minaret by the west entrance and three additional minarets on the east end along the qibla wall. The mosque has a hypostyle design with a total 68 pillars on the inside. [1]
It is perhaps the most internationally recognized site in the town of Niono, having received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983.[3]
World Heritage Status
This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on March 19, 2009 in the Cultural category.[1]
References
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