Bandiagara - Land of Dogon Tribes - Mali
It is a stunning sandy plateau located in Mali in western Africa, It is
a sub-tropical paradise with archeological and historical importance. It is
famous for its sandstone cliffs which rise 500 meters, traditional mask and
rituals and ancient rock art sites. This sandstone cliff run for approximately
200 kilometers from south to northeast and this area is the home of Dogon tribes
who have built a series of villages along the cliff, both on the top and the
bottom. The Dogons' culture with its unique religious ceremonies, hypnotic
dances and fabulous masks has changed little over the centuries. The geological,
archaeological and ethnological interest, together with The dogon tribes are the
landscape, make the Bandiagara plateau one of West Africa's most impressive
sites. In 1989 Bandiagara plateau was made a Unesco World Heritage site.
The local guides can take tourist groups for Bandiagara travel, on trips along the Escarpment to visit the Dogon villages. These sandstone cliffs run from southwest to northeast, roughly parallel to the Niger River. There are approximately 700 Dogon villages, most with fewer than 500 inhabitants. The villages are tightly-knit communities. There are 78 different types of ritual masks among the Dogon and their iconographic messages go beyond the aesthetic, into the realm of religion and philosophy. The primary purpose of Awa dance ceremonies is to lead souls of the deceased to their final resting place in the family altars and to consecrate their passage to the ranks of the ancestors. In Bandiagara, each household usually consists of the man, his wives, and their unmarried children. Polygamy is common in the Dogon tribes ( the men taking more than one wife). During the hot season, the Dogon people sleep on the roofs of their earthen homes. There are three principal cults among the Dogon; the Awa, Lebe and Binu. The tribe make up approximately 5% of the population of Mali.
In deserts, their is water, underground. This is an artesian wall, where it holds fresh water, your tour guide will often show you this during the Bandiagara travel. The Dogon tribes have made wells burrowing down into artesian walls, to get water via the well. This provides just enough water to survive. The village of Sanga in Bandiagara is the most populated in the area and they continue to follow the practice of rock carvings. Both carvers and especially blacksmiths are important figures in their culture and many myths surround their work. Dogon art is primarily wood sculpture, although some pieces are made out of stone or forged from metal. The majority of Dogon practice an animist religion. The Dogon tribes of Bandiagara are highly skilled agriculturalists, having developed a unique irrigation system in an area known to be infertile and inhospitable. They cultivate pearl millet, sorghum and rice, as well as onions, tobacco, peanuts, and some other vegetables. They also raise sheep, goats and chickens.
