The old quarter — the maze of lanes around the Grand Mosque — is the most atmospheric part of Bondoukou. The Dyula merchant families have been here for centuries, and their compounds still show traces of the original mud-brick architecture under more recent concrete additions.
Look for the houses with carved wooden doors and shutters, the Quranic schools where boys recite verses on wooden tablets, and the open courtyards where women sit pounding shea nuts. Friday morning, before the noon prayer, is the liveliest time to walk through.