Countries · Bamako
Mali
The Niger river, the manuscripts of Timbuktu, and a living epic tradition older than most written archives.
Mali carries one of the most documented oral traditions in the world. The Sunjata epic, recited by jeliw, holds a founding history that is still performed rather than only read.
Alongside it sit river festivals, mud-brick architecture renewed by hand each year, and manuscript collections held by families.
Main languages
Bambara · Fula · Soninke · Songhay · Dogon
Places in focus
Bamako · Ségou · Djenné · Timbuktu · Mopti
General cultural context; verified records are added community by community.
Sanké mon
The collective fishing rite of San, inscribed by UNESCO, opens with sacrifices at the Sanké pond and ends with masked dances.
The jeli tradition
Hereditary historians and musicians hold genealogies and epic narrative, accompanied by kora, ngoni and balafon.
Earth architecture
Mosques and granaries of moulded earth are re-plastered communally, an act of maintenance that is also a ritual.
Mali on the map
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Mali
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Short facts, objects and traditions from the archive. Tap a card to read the full entry and its source.