The tapering towers
Pointed tips.
Ivoire8 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ivoire8 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ivoire8 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Binger, Louis-Gustave (1856-1936). Chef de la mission Monnier, Marcel (1853-1918). Photographe de l'oeuvre reproduite. Auteur de la conférence Molteni. Photographe — Public domain
The Great Mosque of Kong is a Sudanese-style mud mosque in the town of Kong in northern Côte d'Ivoire. It is the oldest symbol of the spread of Islam among the peoples of the north, and it is still a place of prayer and gathering. In 2021 it joined the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Sudanese-style mosques in northern Côte d'Ivoire. Kong was an important trading town, and in 1741 it was noted that it already had several mosques, including the Great Mosque. The mosque was destroyed in the late 19th century and rebuilt at the start of the 20th. An unsuitable restoration in 1978 altered some of its features, and it was listed as a historic monument in 1988. You see a long wall of brown earth with tapering towers topped by pointed tips, and horizontal wooden sticks jutting from the walls. These sticks are used for yearly upkeep, when local people replaster the walls with mud. A broad earthen yard and palm trees surround the mosque. It stands in central Kong, and Comoé National Park is about 92 km away in a straight line. Non-Muslims usually see it from outside, so ask permission before approaching. Dress modestly and avoid prayer times. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to this area, so read the current advice before any planning.
Pointed tips.
For yearly upkeep.
Earth and palms.
Central Kong, northern Côte d'Ivoire
As one of the north's Sudanese-style earthen mosques.
Yes, the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the area.