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Gao · ML

Tomb of Askia

Rising seventeen metres above the flat rooftops of old Gao, the Tomb of Askia is one of the most striking monuments in the West African Sahel — a stepped pyramidal tower of mudbrick and timber that has stood since 1495 as a testament to the wealth and ambition of the Songhai Empire. The complex is the largest pre-colonial architectural monument in Gao and the finest surviving vestige of the empire that once dominated trans-Saharan trade routes. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, it remains in active use as a mosque and cultural centre for the city.

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Building

Gao · ML

Tomb of Askia

Rising seventeen metres above the flat rooftops of old Gao, the Tomb of Askia is one of the most striking monuments in the West African Sahel — a stepped pyramidal tower of mudbrick and timber that has stood since 1495 as a testament to the wealth and ambition of the Songhai Empire. The complex is the largest pre-colonial architectural monument in Gao and the finest surviving vestige of the empire that once dominated trans-Saharan trade routes. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, it remains in active use as a mosque and cultural centre for the city.