Architecture, Environmentalism & Islam: The Djenne Mosque

As one of the tallest freestanding earthen structures in the world, the legendary Djenne Mosque, located in Mali, West Africa, has long functioned as a symbol of cultural identity in the area of the Niger Bend, as well as a touchstone of the primary regional religion, Islam. Yet the current climate crisis and resultant discussions about the importance of sustainable systems and green solutions - particularly with regards to architecture - compels a reconsideration of this mosque through a new lens: that of environmentalism and sustainability. Thus, this talk explores how ancient architectures such as the Djenne mosque, which has existed in one iteration or another for over 700 hundred years, may have lessons to teach us about contemporary and even future-facing sustainable architectural solutions. In rethinking the Djenne mosque through the lenses of both faith and environmentalism, one sees how Islam and sustainable architecture exist within the mosque as a collaborative system, providing potential lessons for humanity to consider as we plan for an increasingly uncertain future. Michelle Apotsos is an Associate Professor of Art History at Williams College, where she teaches courses about Africa, Islam, and the built environment. She is the author of Architecture, Islam, and Identity in West Africa: Lessons from Larabanga (Routledge, 2016) and The Masjid in Contemporary Islamic Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2021). She has published in journals including African Arts, the International Journal of Islamic Architecture, and Material Culture Review. Presented in Partnership with the Berkshire Museum