The Tomb of Askia is located in Gao, Mali. Askia Muhammed, the emperor of Songhai, built the monument in 1495. The Empire of Songhai flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries through its control of the trans-Saharan trade and the monument bears witness to the greatness of the empire. The Tomb of Askia exemplifies the monumental mud-building tradition of the West African Sahel.
Askia Muhammed, a pious Muslim, was influenced by the Pyramids while crossing Egypt on his pilgrimage to Macca and decided to build a pyramidal tomb in Gao. It is among the first Islamic buildings within the region and it is an example of the merging of the local traditions with Islamic qualities.
It is believed to be the burial place of Askia Muhammed.
The site includes the 17-meter pyramid tower, two mosques, a cemetery, and an assembly hall.
The tomb belongs to the Sudano-Sahelian syle. It is characterized by the protruding stakes that provide permanent scaffolding for the plastering of the walls. Since the walls are made of mud and wet plaster, they have to be reapplied every year after the rainy seasons which are rare but violent.
The Tomb of Askia is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage in Danger due to the armed conflicts in the region.
