Art and Culture

The art and culture of Africa has influenced western culture throughout history. Africa's rhythms and instruments have influenced jazz and bluegrass musicians. Designs and patterns have influenced American art and fashion. Along with the influence of Islamic and Christian religions among Malian culture, the legendary mythology of the natural world is still apparent in present day Mali. The Westernization of Mali is also apparent through their adoption of a democratic government, the integration of technology, and people walking the streets wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes. Today, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, though present day Mali evolved from a culturally rich empire of the 13th and 14th centuries. Mali's rich cultural heritage shows through their world of bright and intricate art. The exceptional patterns and designs of their textiles portray the elaborate character of the people of Mali.

Satellite Image of West Africa

The Sahelian Kingdoms
(SOL: History 3.2)

The central semi-arid region of Mali is called the Sahel. The Mande peoples first settled West Africa around the Sahel region. The Mali Empire, Ghana Empire, and the Songhai Empire were all part of the Sahelian kingdoms. The people of these empires began to trade within the region and began a trans-Saharan trade route. Mali was centrally located between the trade routes of the sources of salt in the Sahara Desert and the gold mines of West Africa. Timbuktu became a key city for these empires as a center of trade, captivating cultural traditions. Mali was a wealthy trading empire before Columbus sailed to America.

The Mansa

The Mali Empire was ruled by rich and powerful kings, or mansa. The mansa controlled trade in West Africa.

Mali's founding mansa was Sundjata Keita (Sundiata). Sundiata ruled Mali from 1230-1255. As history is told through oral traditions, Sundiata was responsible for Mali becoming one of the world's chief gold suppliers. He also helped introduce the cultivation of cotton into the region.

Sundiata's Story

The story of Sundiata is told through oral tradition by people called griots. The epic of Sundiata says that his father Konate was a handsome Mandinka king who was visited by a divine hunter. The hunter told of a prophecy that if Konate married an ugly woman, she would give him a son who would one day be a mighty king. Although Konate was already married, when two hunters brought him an ugly, hunchbacked woman named Sogolon he remembered the prophecy and married her. The name Sogolon means buffalo woman. Soon Sogolon gave birth to Sundiata Keita.

Sundiata's Grandson

Mansa Kankan Musa I (Mansa Musa) was the grandson of Sundiata Keita. Mansa Musa ruled over Mali while it was the source for almost half the world's gold. Stories are told of his generosity with his gold. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim and gave out gold generously during his pilgrimage to Mecca. That pilgrimage is called a hajj. It is told that when he passed through Cairo, he gave out so much gold that it took 20 years for the economy to recover due to the inflation the gold created. He was so generous that he ran out of money and had to take out a loan to return home. Mansa Musa ruled during the 14th century and has been credited with the flourishing of the Sankore University in Timbuktu.

From Here to Timbuktu

Ibn Battuta (1304-1368) was a Moroccan traveler born in Tangier. He spent 30 years traveling the Muslim world from Timbuktu to Turkey, Central Asia, China and India. He is considered the first traveler to write about their visit to Timbuktu.

A History Passed Down Through Story Telling: The Griot

Mali's history is one of oral traditions. Mali's entire cultural heritage has been passed down by people telling stories of their country's legacy. The tradition of passing on the culture's history has been the job of a very important group of individuals called griots.

The role of a griot grew to include teacher and advisor, as well as storyteller and musician. Malian families of wealth would have their own griot to advise them and help negotiate business matters. Griots that are musicians may play an instrument called a kora. A kora is a 12-stringed instrument that resembles a guitar or lute with a drum head like a banjo that the strings resonate across.

Nomadic People: On the Move

Targui

The Tuareg people are an ethnic group that lived as nomads traveling throughout the Sahara Desert. For centuries the Tuareg have traveled on camels. They worked within the trans-Saharan trade route connecting all the great cities that lay on the outskirts of the Sahara. They earned their living through trade, but many were also farmers and herdsmen. Much of the way that the Tuareg people live today has been the same for centuries. Tuareg men still wear the traditional indigo robes. These indigo robes are the reason for the Tuareg being known as the blue men of the desert. Because the Tuareg of the 13th and 14th centuries did not know how to set the dye permanently, their skin, hair and beards were stained a deep blue color over time. The Tuareg resisted the French invasion in the early 19th century, but their swords were no match for the French cannons and automatic rifles. The Tuareg were eventually subdued and forced to sign treaties in Mali in 1905. The Tuareg people's territory was divided up after the independence of African countries from France in the 1960s. The Tuareg have been fighting to receive ownership of their homeland ever since. Despite many peace agreements between the government and the Tuareg people, there are still groups fighting for the independence of the Tuareg people. Today, many Tuareg people have been forced to abandon herding and now seek jobs in towns and cities.

The Dogon village of Banani.

The Great Artistic Culture

The Dogon are a group of people that live in the central region of Mali. They live at the base of the Bandiagara cliffs south of the Niger River. Their population today is about 300,000. The Dogon are best known for their mythology, masks, wooden sculptures and architecture. Dogon country is one of Mali's major tourist attractions. They are one of Africa's most celebrated artistic cultures. They are mainly farmers who cultivate millet, sorghum and rice, as well as onions and other vegetables. They raise sheep, chickens, and store grain in granaries. The Dogon may be most famous for their knowledge of a star called Sirius B, which is incorporated into their religion as the navel of the universe. The mystery around their knowledge of this star for thousands of years lay in the fact that only an extremely strong telescope could allow the star to be seen. The Dogon would not have had access to such a telescope thousands of years ago.

The Fulani: Wearing Their Wealth

The Fulani are one of Mali's oldest nomadic ethnic groups. They are best known for their gold mining. Because of their nomadic lifestyle, the Fulani were not able to secure their gold in banks. They monitored their wealth by working it into jewelry to be worn by the women of the community. As families increased their wealth, new gold would be added to the women's jewelry. In very wealthy families, earrings could be as large as 10 inches long! The jewelry would be so heavy that women would wear a leather band atop their head to hold the earrings up. Visitors to West Africa came in great numbers to trade for the valuable gold. If you wanted to buy gold in a market place in old Mali, all you would need to offer in exchange would be an equal amount of salt.

The Bamana

The Bamana are one of Mali's oldest tribal cultures. They are the largest group descending from the great Mande Empire. They are characteristically tall and slim with lighter skin than many of the surrounding tribes. Each village has its own chief. Family lineage traced down through male ancestors is very important for the naming and social status of children. The Bamana have family groups, called gwa, who own and work land together growing millet, rice, sorghum, peanuts, melons and other crops. They also raise cattle, goats, sheep, and fowl. Some households have sixty or more family members. Family members work together everyday except on Mondays, which are reserved for the market. The two most important groups of people in Bamana society are the farmers and the artisans. Blacksmiths who forge iron are among the most important craftsmen. They are considered to have magical powers that are passed down through their ancestors. Blacksmiths are feared because of their ability to harness the energy of the universe, called Nyama. Farmers are only allowed to marry farmers and blacksmiths usually only marry into other blacksmith families. A blacksmith's wife is usually a potter. Blacksmiths usually forge iron but they also provide tools for farming, knives, religious sculptures, and weapons to the villagers. Today blacksmiths have become skilled in the making and repairing of guns.

Tensions between the different ethnic groups have led to a number of civil conflicts in Mali. The present government is working to give local communities decision-making powers to try to avoid future conflicts.

Tea Ceremonies

A great deal of ceremony surrounds the making and serving of tea in Mali, especially in the north. Every day tea-drinking groups called grins meet to take part in the ceremony of the three teas. As the saying goes: "The first cup is strong like life; the second is sweet like love; and the third is bitter like death." The ceremony is very formal, and serving tea is an important way of welcoming someone: if strangers visit, they will always be offered tea and dates. Even younger boys such as Dramane have taken up the ceremony.

République du Mali

The Regions of Mali

top: View over Bamako, bottom: Market in Kati, Mali

Djingareiber, Tomboucton

Timbuktu: The City

Timbuktu or Timbuctu (French: Tombouctou) is a city populated by the , , Fulani, and Moorish people in Mali. It is often said to lie on the Niger River, but is actually 20 kilometres north of the river. Its geographical setting made it a natural meeting point for nearby African populations and nomadic Berber and Arab peoples from the north. Its long history as a trading outpost that linked West Africa with Berber and Islamic traders throughout North Africa, and thereby indirectly with traders from Europe, has given it a fabled status. In the West it was known as a metaphor for exotic, distant lands: "from here to Timbuktoo". Timbuktu's most long-lasting contribution to Islamic and world civilization is scholarship. By the 14th century, important books were written and copied in Timbuktu, establishing the city as the center of a significant written tradition in Africa.

The Maddrasa: The University of Sankore

During the early 15th century, a number of Islamic institutions were built. The most famous of these is the Sankore mosque, also known as the University of Sankore.

As the center of an Islamic scholarly community, the "University of Sankore" was a , very different in organization from the universities of medieval Europe. It had no central administration, student registers, or prescribed courses of study; rather, it was composed of several entirely independent schools or colleges, each run by a single master or imam. Students associated themselves with a single teacher, and courses took place in the open courtyards of mosque complexes or private residences. The primary focus of these schools was the teaching of the Qur'an, although broader instruction in fields such as logic, astronomy, and history also took place. Scholars wrote their own books as part of a socioeconomic model based on scholarship. Buying and selling books was more profitable than gold or slaves.

The collection of ancient manuscripts at the University of Sankore and other sites around Timbuktu document the magnificence of the institution, as well as the city itself, while enabling scholars to reconstruct the past in fairly intimate detail. Dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the ancient manuscripts cover every aspect of human endeavor and are indicative of the high level of civilization attained by West Africans during the Middle Ages. In testament to the glory of Timbuktu, for example, a West African Islamic proverb states that "Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, but the word of God and the treasures of wisdom come from Timbuktu."

Architecture

Mud architecture: Many Malian houses and even large buildings are built from mud bricks with mud-plastered walls. Larger structures such as mosques have wooden supports built into them. The supports stick out, giving the appearance of spines. After heavy rains, builders climb the outside of the walls repairing mud that has washed away.

A New Mosque in Mali

The Grand Mosque of Djenne

The Grand Mosque of Djenne

Built in the late 12th century, The Grand Mosque of Djenne is the largest mud brick building in Africa. During the rainy season, the exterior walls of the mosque wear away because of moisture. The sticks made it easy for builders to repair the damage by climbing along the sides and replacing the washed-away mud.

The mosque is located in the city of , Mali on the flood plain of the . The first mosque on the site was built in the 13th century, but the current structure dates from 1907. As well as being the center of the community of Djenne, it is one of the most famous landmarks in Africa. Along with the "Old Towns of Djenne" it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.

The Bani River