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Pays Dogon and the Grand Mosque of Mopti are the two main Mopti attractions. Mopti is popularly known as the 'Venice of Mali'. Mopti settlements are built in the confluence of the Bani and the Niger River. The city lies on the three islands, which are interconnected by dykes.
Mopti is an active river port, and is popular among tourists for its beautiful landscape. Small fishing villages are also located around Mopti. The Grand mosque tops the list in Mopti attractions. The mosque is an earthen structure built in a typical Sudanese style between 1936 and 1943. The mosque was at a serious risk of collapsing until The Aga Khan Trust for Culture undertook its restoration. It was restored in 2006.
Mopti is basically a Dogon country. Dogon art form serves everyday needs as well as ritualistic functions. The knowledge of Dogon art is passed as inheritance from the elders to the younger ones. The purpose of this art is to preserve the traditional art. These are mainly wood sculptures although many pieces are made out of stone and forged metal. These exclusive art pieces, having symbolic meaning are hidden from the public eye inside the houses.
Trekking is one of the major attractions of Mopti. Popular Dogon treks are arranged in the villages along the Bandiagara Escarpment. These treks are specially arranged with the mission to bring the tourists close to the people in these Dogon villages and to find more about this primitive art form. These thrilling trekking experiences lend an insight into the elaborate rituals finding their way of expression in the form of this art. The communities over here have kept their tradition, religious beliefs and customs intact.
The villages along the escarpment are also fascinating. Symbolic designs from mythology are intricately carved in the doors and the windows. The conical mud covered granaries are fascinating pieces of architecture. The granaries are placed on elevated stone plinth for protection against pests. Each house has an ancillary squat dry stone thatched building where older males gather to socialize.
These tourist attractions in Mopti take tourists to a bygone era of the primitive inhabitants of Africa. Tourists are provided with special guides who know the local language.
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