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The Grand Mosque and the Tomb to Tupama Djenepo are the main Djenne attractions. Djenne is located on the floodplains of Bani and Niger River in the southwest of Timbuktu. Old Djenne and the Grand Mosque were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Old Djenne is famous for its mud brick architecture. Over 2,000 houses in this vernacular architecture are located on hillocks as protection from seasonal floods.
The Great Mosque in Djenne is one of the most important Djenne attractions. It dominates the old town. It is built in a typical Sudanic style. Sun baked mud bricks have been used in its construction. The mosque looks like a huge sand castle with three huge turrets and wooden poles sticking out. After each rainy season, maintenance work is carried out for the spring festival. This work is a community affair and is undertaken with a great zeal. The wooden turrets sticking out of the structure enable the workers to scale the monument for restoration. A traditional African market is located around the mosque's vicinity. The Grand Marche (market) is held every Monday near the mosque. Thousands of traders from different regions in Africa take part in this colorful market.
The Tomb of Tupama Djenepo and the ruins of Jenne Jeno are two other tourist attractions in Djenne, which are worth visiting. Jenne Jeno was an ancient city of the 3rd century BC. According to legend Tupama Djenepo was sacrificed on the founding of the city of Djenne.
A large number of tourists flock here every year to witness the various attractions of Djenne. Djenne as a city was a center for propagation of Islam. Being a World Heritage Site it is a 'must see' in the list of leisure tourists and historians.
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