Great Mosque of Koro
History
A settlement called Koro is located in the Mopti Region of Mali, far from the plain to the east of the Bandiagara cliffs. The historic Koro Friday Mosque is located close to the intersection of Route Nationale 15 and the town's main north-south thoroughfare. This mosque, which embodies the traditional regional style, should not be mistaken with the city's more recent Great Mosque, which was built in an imported design. In 1964, the mosque was constructed.
Urban and Architectural
The mosque is made up of two buildings: a large, 27 x 16.3 meter rectangular prayer hall and a small, rectangular courtyard that is perpendicular to the prayer hall and sits next to it on its western side. The soaring outer facades of the prayer hall are lavishly embellished. A massive center tower and two lesser towers designate the mihrab and north and south ends of the wall, respectively, on its east (qibla) side. Two crooked "towers," made of buttresses positioned closely together, rise between them. Projecting wooden beams (toron) are positioned at regular intervals from the bottom to the top on the end towers and mihrab tower. On the western façade of the hall, which faces the street and is where the courtyard has been added, the three towers of the qibla wall are reflected. The middle and two extremities of the facade are marked by three stepped towers. Clusters of perforated holes are used to embellish the towers. Rows of sunken panels in the shape of niches that run between the towers further define the facade. The walls of the courtyard are unadorned save for a few windows. Part of the courtyard is covered by a tin roof.
Description
Six transverse aisles and five rows of four columns separate the prayer hall's interior. The roof is accessible from a stairwell in the hall's southwest corner.
Details
Location
3WC8+7CX Grande Mosquée de Koro, Koro, Mali
Worshippers
250
Year of Build
1964
Area
500 square meters
Drawings
Map
History
A settlement called Koro is located in the Mopti Region of Mali, far from the plain to the east of the Bandiagara cliffs. The historic Koro Friday Mosque is located close to the intersection of Route Nationale 15 and the town's main north-south thoroughfare. This mosque, which embodies the traditional regional style, should not be mistaken with the city's more recent Great Mosque, which was built in an imported design. In 1964, the mosque was constructed.
Urban and Architectural
The mosque is made up of two buildings: a large, 27 x 16.3 meter rectangular prayer hall and a small, rectangular courtyard that is perpendicular to the prayer hall and sits next to it on its western side. The soaring outer facades of the prayer hall are lavishly embellished. A massive center tower and two lesser towers designate the mihrab and north and south ends of the wall, respectively, on its east (qibla) side. Two crooked "towers," made of buttresses positioned closely together, rise between them. Projecting wooden beams (toron) are positioned at regular intervals from the bottom to the top on the end towers and mihrab tower. On the western façade of the hall, which faces the street and is where the courtyard has been added, the three towers of the qibla wall are reflected. The middle and two extremities of the facade are marked by three stepped towers. Clusters of perforated holes are used to embellish the towers. Rows of sunken panels in the shape of niches that run between the towers further define the facade. The walls of the courtyard are unadorned save for a few windows. Part of the courtyard is covered by a tin roof.
Description
Six transverse aisles and five rows of four columns separate the prayer hall's interior. The roof is accessible from a stairwell in the hall's southwest corner.