Grand Mosque of Mopti

Grand Mosque of Mopti Ralf Steinberger / CC BY 2.0

The Grand Mosque of Mopti, also known as Komoguel Mosque, is a prime example of Sahelian and Niger Valley architecture that stands 15 meters tall and is made out of mud brick.

This mosque was built in the 1930s, on the site of an older mosque that had been built in the early 20th century. The construction project was led by M. Cocheteaux, the French Resident Administrator of the Mopti region, who based the design on the Great Mud Mosque of Djenné, which is located about 50 miles to the southwest.

Maintenance of this historic mosque is a community effort. Every year, people come together to refresh the structure’s covering with a new layer of mud and rice straw. Some are locals, but others travel long distances to take part in the work. In 2009, the Grand Mosque of Mopti was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

Know Before You Go

A good tip for getting great views of the mosque is that on the street behind it, there is a local who will let you go on his rooftop in exchange for a small donation to appreciate the mosque from above.