Tomb of Askia
Archaeology » Heritage sites» Tomb of Askia
Location
Region of Gao

Country
Mali

Year of Research
2004

Culture
  • The dramatic 17-m pyramidal construction of the Tomb of Askia was built by Askia Mohamed, the Emperor of Songhai, in 1495 in his capital Gao.
  • It bears evidence to the power and riches of the empire that flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries through its control of the trans-Saharan trade, remarkably in salt and gold. It is also a fine illustration of the monumental mud-building civilization of the West African Sahel.
  • The complex, including the pyramidal tomb, two flat-roofed mosque buildings, the mosque cemetery and the open-air assembly ground, was built when Gao became the capital of the Songhai Empire and after Askia Mohamed had returned from Mecca and made Islam the official religion of the empire.
  • The Tomb of Askia reflects the way local building civilization in answer to Islamic needs absorbed influences from North Africa to create a unique architectural style across the West African sahel.
  • The Tomb of Askia is a significant vestige of the Empire of Songhai, which once conquered the sahel lands of West Africa and controlled the lucrative trans- Saharan trade.
  • The Tomb of Askia reflects the individual architectural tradition of the West African sahel and in particular exemplifies the way buildings evolve over centuries through normal, traditional, maintenance practices.