The Kankou Moussa Mosque is an archaeological site located in the Aldjanabandja district in the city of Gao, southeast of Timbuktu. This site encloses the historic mosque built by the Emperor of Manden, Kankou Moussa, on his return from the pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324. Gao, then a dependency of the Mali Empire, was one of the meeting points of the caravan tracks that crossed the desert and the tracks coming from the south. The construction work was carried out by an Andalusian architect named Es Saheli. Arab chroniclers have described sto mosque as a colossal building and the first case of major works undertaken in the history of Mali, before the construction of the famous Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu. Between 1950 and 2003, archaeological excavations revealed burnt brick structures and important archaeological items attesting to Gao’s wealth and its role as a trading city across the desert between the 7th century and the 16th century.
The excavations that have been carried out have uncovered important structures, through which were discovered building materials and techniques as they were used in the 14th century (1324). The archaeological site of the Kankou Moussa mosque is a property of immense value that has preserved its integrity and authenticity. The site by its size and the importance of its exhumed structures, is one of the most remarkable in Mali. It presents several archaeological elements attesting to the urban construction of the metropolises of the time, marked by the existence of architectural monuments in stone and earth. It is a vivid testimony to the increase in trans-Saharan trade and to the spread of Islam.
