Built in 1935 on the model of the famous Great Mosque of Djenné, the Grand Mosque of Mopti is one of the most distinctive pieces of Sudano-Sahelian architecture in the region. Its three tapering towers, bristling with the wooden toron poles used for annual replastering, rise above the old town quarter and are visible from across the river. The building is made entirely of banco — a sun-dried mud mixture — which gives it a warmth and texture that no modern building can match.
Non-Muslims are not permitted inside, but the exterior is remarkable on its own, and the surrounding old town quarter of narrow mud-brick streets and open courtyards is worth exploring on foot. The mosque is best viewed in the early morning or late afternoon when the light catches the textured walls at an angle.