S6E4: Renewal in West Africa: The Great Mosque of Djenné with Michelle Apotsos

About this episode

Michelle Apotsos discusses the Great Mosque of Djenné and its significance in West Africa.

This month’s podcast takes us to the far south-west of the Islamic world, to the Inner Nigel Delta in Mali where stands the Great Mosque of Djenné in all its magnificence. Join Michelle Apotsos as she discusses the story of this vibrant place of worship built solely out of mud and wood at the centre of a town with deep historical links south to the Atlantic coast and north across the Sahara desert to the Maghreb. In the annual tradition of renovation and reconstruction, the Great Mosque offer...

People in this episode

Guest: Michelle Apotsos

Topics covered

• Islamic architecture
• Great Mosque of Djenné
• West Africa
• cultural heritage
• renovation traditions

Keywords

• Great Mosque of Djenné
• Mali
• Islamic architecture
• mud and wood construction
• cultural heritage

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Djenné, Mali, Inner Niger Delta, Atlantic coast, Sahara desert, Maghreb

More episodes of Islamic Art - The Barakat Trust

• S6E5: The Shrines of Alexandria’s Lake Maryut region, with Ismael Awad · May 25, 2026 · 30 min
• S6E3: Through Uzbekistan: Histories of the Persianate World, with Fuchsia Hart · April 2, 2026 · 37 min
• S6E2: The Story of a Stone: Fatimids in Ethiopia, with Mikael Muehlbauer · February 25, 2026 · 35 min
• S6E1: The Armenian Architects of the Ottoman East, with Alyson Wharton-Durgaryan · February 4, 2026 · 29 min
• S5E8: Islamic Silver in a Viking Treasure Hoard, with Jane Kershaw · November 30, 2025 · 21 min
• S5E7 The Mamluks: A Louvre Exhibition, with Carine Juvin · June 6, 2025 · 34 min