The National Park of Mali in Bamako was developed under a public-private partnership between the Government of Mali and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).
AKDN / Christian Richters
The National Park of Mali in Bamako was developed under a public-private partnership between the Government …
AKDN / Christian Richters
Centre for Earthen Architecture in Mopti, Mali.
AKDN / Christian Richters
Centre for Earthen Architecture in Mopti, Mali.
AKDN / Christian Richters
Small minaret on mihrab - Restoration of Djingareyber Mosque in Timbuktu, Mali.
AKDN / Christian Richters
Small minaret on mihrab - Restoration of Djingareyber Mosque in Timbuktu, Mali.
AKDN / Christian Richters
The Mopti Mosque in Mali, Southern facade and main entrance.
AKDN / Christian Richters
The Mopti Mosque in Mali, Southern facade and main entrance.
AKDN / Christian Richters
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AKTC has undertaken the restoration of earthen architectural mosque landmarks in Mopti, Timbuktu and Djenné. We have created an urban park and zoo in Bamako combining recreational and educational activities. Our work includes upgrading the surrounding public areas for residents’ benefit.
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The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has trained 345 people in construction and related skills
Great Mosque of Komoguel, Mopti
AKTC started working in earthen architecture rehabilitation in Mali in 2004 with the two-year restoration of the Great Mosque of Mopti. This involved stabilising the building envelope using traditional earthen techniques,re-establishing the building exterior and interior integrity by training local artisans, and improving the surrounding public space.
AKDN / Christian Richters
Djingareyber Mosque, Timbuktu
Timbuktu’s oldest monument and its major landmark, the World Heritage Site Djingareyber Mosque, was in poor condition when it was first documented by AKTC in 2007. The restoration work employed and trained more than 140 local masons working in traditional methods, and introduced new standards for earthen conservation.
Find out more about earthen architecture.
Great Mosque, Djenné
In a town almost entirely built of raw earth, Djenné Great Mosque was constructed by the community in 1906 on the remains of a pre-existing mosque. It is the largest historical mud mosque in the sub-Saharan region and is considered by many to be the greatest achievement of the Sudan-Sahelian architectural style.
After surveys and studies in 2008, AKTC’s restoration work aimed to guarantee the stability of the building by consolidating the carpentry and wall-bearing system, then maintaining the yearly plastering festival by community. The restoration, completed in 2010, provided on-the job training in traditional building crafts and contemporary conservation methods to more than 180 community masons.
Water and Sanitation and Area Development in Komoguel, Mopti
To improve health and living conditions in the district of Komoguel and address water and sanitation, AKTC established a proper underground sewage system, provided protection against periodically rising river water by constructing a flood barrier, established several public drinking water points and paved the streets with locally manufactured bricks made from compressed polythene bags mixed with sand.
Earthen Architecture Vocational Training Centre, Mopti
Established in 2010, the Centre de l’Architecture en Terre includes a permanent exhibition displaying pictures, material samples and prototypes of building techniques depicting local Malian earthen architectural traditions. It provides an educational overview of Malian earthen monuments, and presents the history, techniques and use of materials in earthen architecture. The Centre is supplemented by vocational training grounds to provide education to building technicians and architects in the use of raw earth.
Urban Upgrading, Djenné
The Djenné population expressed the need to improve public open space, which was compromised by vehicular traffic, inefficient sanitation systems and accumulating piles of solid waste. The project was started in 2017 through a series of periodic information sessions. It responded to the people’s needs and reflected the concerns expressed by the international community as to the level of dilapidation of the public open space in a city designated a World Heritage Site since 1988.
The National Park of Mali in Bamako was developed under a public-private partnership between the Government of Mali and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).
AKDN / Christian Richters
National Park and Zoo, Bamako
Since 2008, the Trust has worked with the government to create the National Park of Mali in the capital, Bamako. As a response to the rapid rise in the city's population in recent years, the need for far-sighted quality public open space was crucial. The site is a large, semi-circular canyon area that lies beneath the terraced outcrops of the Koulouba plateau between the National Museum and the Presidential Palace Complex, in a protected forest. The project brief called for the unification of the sites of the National Museum and the existing Botanical Garden and Zoo into a single park of significant value, with natural and cultural attractions for leisure and educational activities. Phase I, including the refurbished ecological park into a landscaped park with new facilities such as sport amenities, food and beverage services and new gates and fencing, was completed in 2010. Phase II comprised the Zoo rehabilitation, the upgrading of the animal collection and the development of good practice of animal care, completed in 2013. The National Park of Mali has proved an important development model, meeting local expectations for a quality urban park in the Malian capital.
Find out more about the National Park of Mali, Bamako.