The Bandiagara Escarpment

Bandiagara Escarpment is formed by the edge of a sandstone plateau located to the south-east of the inner delta of the Niger River. It extends along a south-west north-east axis for a length of approximately 200 km, starting from Segue in the south and ending in Douentza in the north.

The elevation of the escarpment increases from south to north until it reaches 791 m near Bamba. Dogon Country, one of the most striking cultural and natural regions in Mali and West Africa, extends around it. It is populated mainly by the Dogon, a people of farmers and blacksmiths.

The cultural landscape of Dogon Country, which takes the form of a living cultural and natural sanctuary, offers a rich reservoir of historical and cultural interest. Consequently, it has sparked the enthusiasm of illustrious historians, anthropologists, and researchers who have provided extensive information on a great many cultural, tangible, and intangible aspects.

Part of the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1989 as a mixed (cultural and natural) site under the name ‘Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)’. The listed perimeter contains 289 villages split between the three natural regions of Dogon Country: the plateau, the cliffs, and the sandy Seno Plain.

The rural population living in this listed area is estimated at nearly 600,000 inhabitants. Two thirds of the listed area is occupied by the Bandiagara plateau and the escarpment. The classified area is one of the largest sites in the world on the World Heritage list.

The cultural landscape of Bandiagara, a World Heritage site, has at least a dozen sacred huts and temples that make it unique and give it the appearance of a living cultural and natural sanctuary.