Birthplace of Bogolan

Djenne is a World-Heritage listed city in Mali famous for it’s mosque – the largest mud-built structure in the world. It is also reported to be the “true home” of bogolan fabric whose designs are supposedly painted with the same mud that created the mosque.

 I arrived to Djenne with great expectations of shops full of bogolan, artists busy at work and huge pots overfilling with mud/clay.

 Although I did see many people wearing and selling bogolan in the crowded Monday market, the quality and selection in Djenne was not at all what I had hoped for. After the busy workshop and fine work I saw in Segou, these just did not compare.

 Traditionally, bogolan is the work of women artists and Pama Sinatoa is “the most famous artisan” in Djenne. Even a visit to her workshop however failed to reveal the “top-notch” and “enormous” selection of textiles advertised in my tour book. Although I was impressed with her role in starting the women’s bogolan co-operative I did not see any of the 150 women artists working in my two days there and the excuse that it was not tourist season just did not satisfy me.

Finding the source of the mud that makes it all possible however made this trip more then worthwhile. It was incredible to see the crowd of people fishing within the goopy grey muck and I longed to jump in and play with them. As a source of building material, art medium and even food – this stuff really is the life-blood of this society!