Old Towns of Djenné built from mud risk disappearance

A world heritage site in central Mali that features elaborate pre-Islamic mud houses is in danger of deteriorating because it cannot be protected adequately in the face of insecurity, UNESCO said

14 July 2016, 8:34am

1 min read

The Old Towns of Djenné include four archeological sites with nearly 2,000 houses which date back to 3rd century BC

The world heritage committee from UNESCO said insecurity was preventing measures to safeguard the site against the deterioration of construction materials, urbanisation and erosion.

Mali faces a threat from terrorist militants, as well as volatile separatist politics in the north, according to the Guardian.

Edmond Moukala, head of Unesco world heritage in Africa, said concerns were raised when a team visiting the site this year found signs of deterioration.

“The Malian government is coping with a lot of challenges,” he said. “What is needed right now is to ensure that institutions are in place and receive financial support.”

A force led by French troops intervened in 2013 to drive back militants who had hijacked an ethnic Tuareg uprising and seized Timbuktu and other towns in the north.

The Old Towns of Djenné include four archeological sites with nearly 2,000 houses whose decorative facades have remained intact since the 3rd century BC. The buildings are among the most famous in Mali, a country that also boasts the ancient town of Timbuktu.

Djenné, a market centre and link in the trans-Saharan gold trade, was added to the World Heritage List in 1988.