Every spring the city of Djenné climbs onto its own roof to put a new coat of mud on the Great Mosque. The masons who lead this work, the Barey Ton, are the largest single guild of vernacular architects on the continent. We came to listen, then to pay attention, then to fund.
Region
Djenné, Mali
Years
2021 to ongoing
Discipline
Vernacular architecture
Partners
Barey Ton Masons Guild
Working alongside the masons of Djenné to document the annual replastering of the Great Mosque, and to underwrite the apprentice rolls for the next ten years.
The Festival
On the morning of the crepissage, the entire city participates. Boys carry mud, women carry water, masters carry the pattern. We have photographed each season since 2021 with permissions renewed annually and final-cut held by the guild's secretary.
The Endowment
The guild had been losing apprentices to construction work in Bamako. With one of our patron families, we have endowed twelve full apprentice stipends a year for ten years, with terms governed by the guild and audited by an independent panel they nominated.
The Record
We are co-publishing a bilingual atlas of the joinery, finials and decorative figures of Djenné architecture, with every named master credited and every photograph approved. The first edition lands in 2026 in French and Bambara, with English to follow.
“The mosque is alive because we touch it every year. Stop touching it and it dies.”
Boubacar Kouroumansé, Master Mason, Djenné, 2023
