Thousands replaster Mali’s Great Mosque of Djenne, which is threatened by conflict

DJENNE, Mali (AP) — Thousands of Malians joined the replastering of the world’s largest mud-brick building this weekend, a key ritual that maintains the integrity of the Great Mosque of Djenne in central Mali. The building has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger list since 2016. The mosque and surrounding town are threatened by conflict. Djenne’s mosque requires a new layer of mud each year before the start of the rainy season in June. The replastering event once drew tens of thousands of tourists each year, but Mali’s tourism industry has all but disappeared. However, the head of Djenne’s cultural mission said the annual event must continue, to preserve Mali’s cultural heritage.