MALI

Bamako was found by the end of 16th century by the Niare people, also called Niakite people, who are Sarakoles. The name “Bamako” comes from the Bambara word meaning the “river of crocodile,” the crocodile being a fetish of Bamako. Every new year before the rainy season in the old days a virgin girl was offered to the crocodile, but this tradition was abandoned a long time ago. Bamako is located on the banks of the Niger River and offers an interesting mix of colonial buildings, a national museum, a colorful market, and a scenic view from the Point-G Bridge.

SEGOU

Segou was the capital of an important Bambara kingdom founded by Kaladian Coulibaly. It is situated along the Niger River. A historic town, it flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1861 the kingdom collapsed when the leader of the Tukilar jihad, Alhadge Omar, seized the town. Nowadays it is the capital of the 4th economic region of Mali, an important center of trading, and the head quarter of the Office du Niger. In segou every February is held the festival of Niger which gathering international artists from the world and we can still visit the beautiful village of segou koro which was the center of Biton Coulibaly’s Bambara Empire and the great man he is buried here, segou offer an amazing colonial buildings and the village of Kalabougou located on the left side of the Niger, where you can see women make potteries for all the week and which are burned in Saturdays and then transport by wooden boats to Segou market.

DJENNE

Founded in the 12th century, Djenne is situated on the Bani River and adjacent flood lands. In 1988, it was listed a UNESCO World Heritage site. Djenne is the twin sister of Timbuktu and was one of the first commercial centers of the Sahel region; it was the meeting place of the nomadic, long-distance traders from the Sahara, the local farmers and cattle herders and the fishermen from inland delta of the Niger. Djenne offers the biggest mud structure in the world, with its colorful weekly market day and antique houses dating from 12th century.

MOPTI

Mopti is called the “Venice of Mali,” located at the confluence of the Niger and Bani River. Originally a small fishing village, it has become an important commercial town, the center of Mali’s fishing and livestock industries. The bustling market is a center of trade for many ethnic groups, and is adjacent to the Komogel mud mosque.

DOGON

Mali’s Dogon country (pays dogon) is a world apart. Pays dogon is home to one of the most fascinating cultures in Africa and is comprised of a series of traditional villages surrounding the Bandiagara escarpments. It has amazing landscapes of cliffs and a sandy plateau with some beautiful architecture (mosques, granaries, sanctuaries, and Toguna and Tellems houses). The Dogon people arrived in this land in 13th century. Their roots lie in Mande country in eastern Mali, close to the modern town of Kangaba. The Dogon are best known for their religious traditions, masks dances, wooden sculptures and architecture.

TIMBUKTU

As the saying goes: “Salt comes from north, gold from south, and money from the white man’s land; but the word of God, history, famous things and good tales, we can only find them in Timbuktu.” Timbuktu, the land of peace and culture, was founded by a Toureg woman called “Buktu” in the 10th century. It is located on the edge of the Sahara desert to the north and the Niger River to the south. In 14th century it was a flourishing centre for the trans-Saharan gold, salt and ivory trade. It grew as a centre of Islamic culture. It has three of Western Africa’s oldest Mosques – Djingarey Ber, Sankore, and Sidi Yahia  - which were built between the 13th and early 16th centuries. The city was listed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.