[더 한장] The world’s largest mud temple collapses when it rains

There is a building that collapses when it rains. The world’s largest mud building ‘Djenné Mosque’ located in Djenné, Mali, Africa.

Every year during the rainy season from March to May, local residents, young and old, put mud on the walls of the mosque. Children are responsible for constantly stirring the mortar, which is mainly used for repair work, so that it does not harden. The women prepare water for plastering and water for the workers. Men climb up palm poles built into the outer walls of the mosque and apply mud to the surface. At this time, a race is held to see who reaches the mosque first.

This work is now a festival called ‘La Fête de Créppisage’, which lasts about a month and is an opportunity for residents to unite with each other. After finishing the work, residents flock to the Bani River near the city to take a bath. And the work is completed by shaking hands after gathering in front of the newly renovated mosque to pray.

The walls of the Djenné Mosque are built of sun-dried mud bricks, and the surface is covered with mud paste, giving it a smooth sculptural feel. On the outer wall of the mud, wooden blocks called ‘Toron’, a 60cm palm tree pole, are tightly embedded. Thoron supports the earth bricks and also controls the temperature and humidity of the building. It also serves as scaffolding for repairing walls. The mosque was built on a foundation unit measuring 75 mx 75 m, and the foundation was built 3 m higher than the surrounding land.

The Djenné Mosque has been teaching the Koran since the Middle Ages and has functioned as an Islamic educational institution. Even now, locals use the Djenné Mosque as a Koranic school.

The Djenné Mosque was badly damaged in the 1830s, but was renovated in 1907 to reach its current appearance. The old town area of ​​Djenné, including the mosque, was recognized for its historical value and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.