Tomb of Askia History, Travel Information, Hotels, Fare, Facts And More
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PERSONAL INFORMATION
NAME
Tomb of Askia
COUNTRY
Mali
ADDRESS
Gao, Mali
TOMB OF ASKIA PICTURE
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About Tomb of Askia
The tomb of Askia as the name suggests is a burial place of Askia Mohammad I who was one of the most powerful emperors of the Songhai Empire. The site is located in Gao, Mali. It is a monumental mud building according to the West African Sahel tradition. The area covered by the site is about 4.24 hectares. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2004 and was declared as a World Heritage Site in Danger 2012 onwards.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Tomb of Askia
- The site includes a pyramidal tomb, a burial ground of Christians, two mosques, and a gathering land.
- It is the biggest pre-colonial architectural memorial throughout the area of Gao having a height of 17 meters.
- The monuments have been replastered regularly due to which their mud structures are maintained until now.
- In the 2000s, an electricity supply is added to the site and now it also contains lights, ceiling fans, and a loudspeaker which is mounted on top.
- All the woods and mud used to make this tomb was brought from Mecca by emperor Askia himself during his religious journey to Mecca. He went to the holy city with a long caravan with thousands of camels. It is said that the structure was a house with numerous rooms and corridors which was sealed following Askia Mohammed's death. The monarch Askia was buried in this tomb and other Askia's were buried in the courtyard.
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