Day: 21 February 2025

Mosque

The Great Mosque of Djenné And the Social Utility of History

Africans are no strangers to conservationists, preservationists and all manner of experts who call into question Africa’s internal capabilities to safeguard sites and objects of historical value. The Great Mosque of Djenné, its mud-brick walls annually restored by the community, poses a challenge to a Western approach to history which sees preservation as an end in itself, rather than a means to social cohesion.