Drew in West Africa: Mali
July 13-August 7
Drew University offers a unique summer study abroad program that allows a firsthand exploration of the culture and arts of Mali. Since 1984, several hundred students have benefited from the Drew in West Africa program, taking courses in African studies, art, and art history. This summer the program visits Mali where students are introduced to the ways in which art reflects the social, economic, and cultural changes taking place in modern Africa.
Mali is an extraordinary country, extending from the savannah to the edge of the Sahara, with thousands of miles of beautiful landscapes, ranging from the Dogon cliffs to the scenic inland Niger River Delta. Mali still contains many vestiges of the period when it was the center of great medieval empires.
The program begins in the capital city of Bamako with a general orientation and introduction to the art and culture of contemporary Mali and to the cultures of its many peoples, particularly the Bamana, Dogon, and Tuareg. The group then travels to interior regions, visiting villages where traditional life remains vigorous, in addition to visits to the Djenne mosque and Timbuktu.
Mali: An Overview
Although it may not compete with the major safari countries for sheer natural spectacle, Mali is a nation of unusual interest and charm. Like Egypt, Mali is a country that is intimately related to a great river--in this case, the Niger. In addition, Mali is the location of some of the continent's most interesting cultural sites. Legendary Timbuktu is located here, and in the center of the country is the magnificently dramatic Bandiagara escarpment, home to the fascinating culture of the Dogon.
Most of Mali lies in the Sahara. A landlocked country four-fifths the size of Alaska, it is bordered by Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Côte d'Ivoire. The only fertile area is in the south, where the Niger and Senegal rivers provide irrigation.
Mali is shaped a bit like a butterfly, leaning to the northwest, with a much smaller left than right wing. The larger northwestern region of the country, which extends into the Sahara, is almost entirely arid desert or semi-desert. In the central region, known as the Sahel, life follows the Niger River's annual flood cycle, with high water between August and November. In the southwestern area, rainfall and rivers are more plentiful, and this region is marginally more lush than the rest of the country. Mali's single most important geographic feature is undoubtedly the great Niger River, which traverses both the Sahel and the southeastern section of the country. The Niger, like the Nile, is both a critical source of sustenance and a major transportation artery--and in this latter capacity it is an excellent venue for boat travel.
Although most of Mali experiences only negligible rainfall, the 'rainy' season in the south extends from June through September.
History and People
Although Mali is today one of the poorest countries in the world, it has a long and illustrious past as an integral part of great African empires. The first of these empires was the empire of Ghana, which from the 4th to the 11th century controlled the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Ghana fell under invasions by the Muslim Almoravids, but it was soon supplanted by the Mandinka Empire of Mali. Mali reached its pinnacle of power and wealth during the 14th century, extending over almost all of West Africa and controlling virtually all of the rich trans-Saharan gold trade. It was during this period that Mali's great cities, Timbuktu and Djenne, became fabled centers of wealth, learning, and culture. In the 15th century Mali fell to the Songhai, who had established their own capital at Gao. The Songhai held sway until the end of the 16th century, their empire collapsed under both internal and external pressures. The end of the Songhai empire also marked the conclusion of the region’s history as a trading centre, for the trans-Saharan trade routes quickly lost their vitality after the establishment of sea routes by Europeans.
In the late nineteenth century, Mali became a French colony, and in 1960 it became independent. The country has suffered from periods of internal and external strife, as well as from an extended drought in the early 1970s, but today it appears to by moving toward a stable, multi-party democratic government.
Mali's population comprises a number of different peoples, including the Bambara (who are the largest single group), the Songhai, Mandinka, Senoufo, Fula, and Dogon. The last of these groups, the Dogon, are world-renowned for their artwork, and a visit to their traditional cliff-side villages is a fascinating experience. The majority of Mali's people are Muslim, and the official language is French. Bambara, however, is the country's true lingua franca.
July 13-August 7
Drew University offers a unique summer study abroad program that allows a firsthand exploration of the culture and arts of Mali. Since 1984, several hundred students have benefited from the Drew in West Africa program, taking courses in African studies, art, and art history. This summer the program visits Mali where students are introduced to the ways in which art reflects the social, economic, and cultural changes taking place in modern Africa.
Mali is an extraordinary country, extending from the savannah to the edge of the Sahara, with thousands of miles of beautiful landscapes, ranging from the Dogon cliffs to the scenic inland Niger River Delta. Mali still contains many vestiges of the period when it was the center of great medieval empires.
The program begins in the capital city of Bamako with a general orientation and introduction to the art and culture of contemporary Mali and to the cultures of its many peoples, particularly the Bamana, Dogon, and Tuareg. The group then travels to interior regions, visiting villages where traditional life remains vigorous, in addition to visits to the Djenne mosque and Timbuktu.
Mali: An Overview
Although it may not compete with the major safari countries for sheer natural spectacle, Mali is a nation of unusual interest and charm. Like Egypt, Mali is a country that is intimately related to a great river--in this case, the Niger. In addition, Mali is the location of some of the continent's most interesting cultural sites. Legendary Timbuktu is located here, and in the center of the country is the magnificently dramatic Bandiagara escarpment, home to the fascinating culture of the Dogon.
Most of Mali lies in the Sahara. A landlocked country four-fifths the size of Alaska, it is bordered by Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Côte d'Ivoire. The only fertile area is in the south, where the Niger and Senegal rivers provide irrigation.
Mali is shaped a bit like a butterfly, leaning to the northwest, with a much smaller left than right wing. The larger northwestern region of the country, which extends into the Sahara, is almost entirely arid desert or semi-desert. In the central region, known as the Sahel, life follows the Niger River's annual flood cycle, with high water between August and November. In the southwestern area, rainfall and rivers are more plentiful, and this region is marginally more lush than the rest of the country. Mali's single most important geographic feature is undoubtedly the great Niger River, which traverses both the Sahel and the southeastern section of the country. The Niger, like the Nile, is both a critical source of sustenance and a major transportation artery--and in this latter capacity it is an excellent venue for boat travel.
Although most of Mali experiences only negligible rainfall, the 'rainy' season in the south extends from June through September.
History and People
Although Mali is today one of the poorest countries in the world, it has a long and illustrious past as an integral part of great African empires. The first of these empires was the empire of Ghana, which from the 4th to the 11th century controlled the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Ghana fell under invasions by the Muslim Almoravids, but it was soon supplanted by the Mandinka Empire of Mali. Mali reached its pinnacle of power and wealth during the 14th century, extending over almost all of West Africa and controlling virtually all of the rich trans-Saharan gold trade. It was during this period that Mali's great cities, Timbuktu and Djenne, became fabled centers of wealth, learning, and culture. In the 15th century Mali fell to the Songhai, who had established their own capital at Gao. The Songhai held sway until the end of the 16th century, their empire collapsed under both internal and external pressures. The end of the Songhai empire also marked the conclusion of the region’s history as a trading centre, for the trans-Saharan trade routes quickly lost their vitality after the establishment of sea routes by Europeans.
In the late nineteenth century, Mali became a French colony, and in 1960 it became independent. The country has suffered from periods of internal and external strife, as well as from an extended drought in the early 1970s, but today it appears to by moving toward a stable, multi-party democratic government.
Mali's population comprises a number of different peoples, including the Bambara (who are the largest single group), the Songhai, Mandinka, Senoufo, Fula, and Dogon. The last of these groups, the Dogon, are world-renowned for their artwork, and a visit to their traditional cliff-side villages is a fascinating experience. The majority of Mali's people are Muslim, and the official language is French. Bambara, however, is the country's true lingua franca.
