By Kudra Maliro
Designed in the Sudanese architectural style, the Great Mosque of Mopti, commonly known as the Komoguel Mosque, covers an area of 12 to 76 m2.
The mosque in central Mali was built between 1933 and 1935. It replaced a previous mosque that was built in 1908.
The Great Mosque of Mopti was in a perilous state when the Aga Khan Trust for Culture was asked to restore it.
Over the years it survived thanks to the community that maintained it by plastering it with earth and rice straw. Every year, several people from the town of Mopti get together to dress the mosque in a new robe of mud.
Amadou Ba, aged around 45, has been taking part in the ceremony to restore the mosque since he was young.
A tradition
"It was my grandfather who first brought me to take part in this ceremony. I was only eight at the time. We recited the holy Quran and were completely covered in mud," Amadou Ba tells TRT Afrika.
Mr Ba, like many others from Mopti, has travelled a long way to take part in this circular tradition, adding that the mosque is the cultural pride of the town.
"I live in Bamako at the moment, but I never miss this ceremony," says the 45-year-old son of Mopti.
Measuring 31 metres long, 17 metres wide and 15 metres high, it was built with banco bricks and plastered with the same material. It consists of two parts: the first is covered and the second is the courtyard.
The building is surrounded by a perimeter wall measuring between 2.40 and 2.90 metres high. The roof is supported by massive pillars aligned parallel to the wall of the Qibla (the indication of the direction of Mecca).
A reunion
For Mr Ba, this event is not just about restoring the mosque, but also about bringing together family and friends who live far from Mopti.
The Komoguel mosque welcomes the largest number of worshippers in Mopti during prayer times, in particular during the Friday prayers.
This unifying character makes this religious monument an instrument for maintaining and strengthening social ties.
Amadou N'diaye, a leading local figure, believes that with this annual tradition of restoring the Mopti, the building will always remain a symbol of pride.
According to figures from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Worship, Muslims make up around 95% of the population in Mali. The mosque holds a historical, architectural, cultural and spiritual importance and is a big draw to tourists.
"I hope that this tradition will continue to be passed down from generation to generation... Let's hope that my grandsons and great-grandsons will also take part in the restoration of the mosque," concludes Mr N'diaye.
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