1 Map of contemporary African states and areas studied 2
2 Postcard showing the great mosque of Djenne, 1920–2 7
3 Map of the Niger valleys mosques and the six main typological groups
4 Map of medieval kingdoms and sultanates in West Africa 12
5 Map of pre-modern states and theocraties in West Africa 16
6 Map of the diffusion of Islam along transaharian roads 21
7 Dyula mosque of Sorobango 24
8 Mixing the mud for the bricks, Djenne 25
9 Building with djenne ferey bricks, mosque of Djenne 28
10 Façade with torons, mosque of Mopti 29
11 Façade tile works in Goundam Mosque, Kona 30
12 Bouna Mosque, Mali 32
13 Annual replastering of of the minaret, great mosque of Djenne 33
14 Annual replastering festival in Djenne 34
15 Pillars in the mosque of Mopti 35
16 Pillars in the mosque of Djinguere Ber, Timbuktu 36
17 Azara in the mosque of Djinguere Ber, Timbuktu 36
18 Wooden tree ceiling in the mosque of Chinguetti 38
19 Flat dome of Hawsa mosque in Chiginawen 39
20 Squinches in the mosque of Zaria 40
21 Section of the roof of the great mosque of Djenne and ceramic pots as ventilation mechanism 40
22 Merlons or pinnacles (zanko), great mosque of Mopti 41
23 Ceramic pots ventilation system, great mosque of Djenne 42
24 On the roof, air channels are covered by ceramic pots, great mosque of Djenne 42
25 Female potter makes a clay finial in Mopti, Mali 43
26 Façades interrupted by wooden beams (toron), Timbuktu 44
27 Pinnacles or merlons, often in “sugar loaves”, Mopti 44
28 The courtyard located to the west, mosque of Djinguere Ber, Timbuktu 45
29 Mihrab tower of Djenne enframed by two towers along the qibla wall 45
30 Mihrab of the mosque of Bole, Ghana 46
31 Symmetrical tripartite arrangement of the qibla wall in the mosque of Bouna 47
32 Minaret of Djinguere Ber, Timbuktu 49
33 Mosque of Kumbi Saleh (10th–14th century) 52
34 Plan of the mosque of Chinguetti 53
35 Mosque of Chinguetti 54
36 Minaret of Chinguetti 54
37 Mosque of Tendirma, Mali 56
38 Location of the mosques in the cities of modern Gao, Old Gao, and Gao Sane 57
39 Mosques of Old Gao (tenth to fourteenth century) 59
40 Mosque-mausoleum of Askia Mohammed, Gao 60
41 Location of the three major mosques in the city of Timbuktu, Djinguere Ber, Sankore and Sidi Yahya 62
42 Engraving of three mosques in the city of Timbuktu in 1830 63
43 Mosque of Djinguere Ber, Timbuktu 64
44 3D view of the mosque of Djinguere Ber, Timbuktu 65
45 Mosque of Sankore, Timbuktu 65
46 Plan of the great mosque of Agadez, fifteenth century 67
47 Postcard showing the ruins of the old great mosque of Djenne in 1906 69
48 Engraving of the old great mosque of Djenne in 1897 71
49 The great mosque of Djenne 73
50 The front façade of the great mosque of Djenne after restoration 74
51 The potige, monumental Djennean traditional gate 74
52 Friday mosque of Mopti, Komoguel district 75
53 Plan of the great mosque of Mopti and façade of the qibla wall 76
54 Friday mosque of Mopti, Komoguel district 77
55 Mosque of Koro, footsteps of Bandiagara cliffs 78
56 The great mosque of Koro, Mali 79
57 Great mosque of Guindio-Sare, Mopti region 80
58 Great mosque of Guindio-Sare, Mopti region 81
59 Mosque of Banankoro 82
60 Plan and section of the mosque of Zaria, Northern Nigeria, 1834–46 85
61 Moulded decorations on the piers and arches of Zaria Mosque, Nigeria 86
62 Mosque of Tancinat, Niamey region 87
63 Mosque of Nakori 88
64 Plan and southern façade of the great mosque of Bobo Dioulasso 90
65 Great mosque of Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso 91
66 Plans and elevations of the mosques of Banda Nkwanta and Bole 92
67 Mosque of Banda Nkwanta 93
68 Mosque of Bole 93
69 Mosque Ibrahim, Larabanga 94
70 Mosque of Dinguiraye 96
71 Circular mosque of Dinguiraye, Futa Jalon 97
72 Great mosque of Timbo, Guinea 98
73 Djennean gate of the great mosque of Mopti 103
74 Comparison between the Djennean gate and Dogon ceremonial mask the antilope (walu) 103
75 Removing additional layers of earth creating overloading 105
76 Building chronology and mud coating 106
77 Minaret of the mosque of Agadez, Niger 113
78 Mosque of Missiri built in 1928, Fréjus, France 114
79 Map of historical mosques and kingdoms in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea) 116
80 Plan of the great mosque of Nora, Ethiopia 118
81 Great mosque of Nora 119
82 Excavations in the prayer room of the great mosque of Nora 119
83 Keystone of the mihrab of the great mosque of Nora 121
84 District mosques of Nora (M4 and M5) 122
85 Small mosque (M4), Nora, Ethiopia 123
86 Faqi Dabbis, Ethiopia 124
87 Mosque of Abasa, Somaliland 128
88 Church-mosque of Adulis 131
89 Plan of the church-mosque of Adulis 131
90 Shafa’i mosque of Suakin, Red Sea harbour 132
91 Hanafi and Shafa’i mosques of Suakin, Red Sea harbour 133
92 Palace-church-mosque of Dongola, Nubia 134
93 Palace-church-mosque of Dongola, Nubia 135
94 Palace-church-mosque of Dongola, Nubia 136
95 Church-mosque of Artul 137
96 Qasr Ibrim, Nubia 138
97 Cathedral-mosque of Qasr Ibrim 138
98 Great mosque of Sennar in 1821 140
99 The Kathmiyah Hassan mosque in Kassala, Sudan 140
100 Omdurman, the Khalifa’s entrance to Mahdi’s Tomb in 1898 141
101 Mosque of el-Koro, Sudan 142
102 Mosque of Wara, capital of Wadai, Chad 144
103 Map of the East African coast and Swahili mosques groups 147
104 Map of the trade routes in the Indian Ocean 164
105 Coral limestone quarry, lamu archipelago, Kenya 171
106 Plaster floor of the thirteenth century mosque in Gedi 173
107 Natural raw blocks of coral bounded by a mud mortar, Dembeni, ninth to tenth century 174
108 Eleventh to twelfth century masonry with sea coral ashlars and regular courses, Sanje ya Kati 175
109 Thirteenth century masonry with regular courses of fossil coral limestone ashlars, walls east of the great mosque of Kilwa 176
110 Fifteenth century formwork masonry with fossil coral limestone walls bounded in mortar (concrete), eastern wall of the southern extension of the great mosque of Kilwa 177
111 Blocked windows transformed into niches, great mosque of Kilwa, twelfth to thirteenth century 178
112 Window and niche for Qurans, Tsingoni, Mayotte 179
113 Octagonal wooden (monoxyle) column base, fourteenth century in the mosques of Gedi 181
114 Fourteenth century octagonal monolithic pillars, great mosque, Kilwa Kisiwani 181
115 Octagonal pillars, great mosque, Kilwa Kisiwani, fifteenth century 182
116 Octagonal pillars of the small mosque, Mnarani of Kilifi, Kenya 183
117 Wooden columns set in sea coral octagonal base socket, mosque n°2 of Kaole, Tanzania 184
118 Ceiling with mangrove poles, Chole, Mafia Island 185
119 Makuti panels for vegetal roof, Songo Mnara 186
120 Conical dome of Fakhr al-Din mosque in Mogadishu 187
121 Mosque of Mwana, northern Kenya 187
122 Plan and section of the small mosque (n°2) in Ungwana 189
123 Main entrance of the southern extension of the great mosque in Kilwa, 1302 AD 190
124 Section of the great mosque of Kilwa and the great dome 190
125 Barrel vaults of Kongo mosque (Tiwi) 191
126 Barrel vaults of the mosque of Kilwa n°2 191
127 Side room in Tsingoni, Mayotte 193
128 Water tank and foot rubbers in the great mosque of Kilwa 194
129 A north-south wall cutting in two the water tank of the Jamia of Mnarani, Kilifi 196
130 Fifteenth century ablution area of the great mosque of Gedi 197
131 Staircase minaret in the north-west corner of the projection of the mihrab of Tsingoni, Mayotte 198
132 Minaret of the Jamia in Mogadishu in Shangani district 199
133 Pseudo-minaret of the mosque of Mbaraki “pyramid of the Moors”, Mombasa Island 200
134 Minaret of Shela Mosque on Lamu island 201
135 Mombasa 202
136 Plan Mnara mosque in Malindi district, Zanzibar old town 203
137 Mihrab of the funerary and great mosque in Takwa, Lamu archipelago 204
138 Funerary octagonal pillar overhung the small domed mosque in Kilwa Kisiwani 205
139 Mosque of Mnarani connected to large panel tombs and pilar tomb, fourteenth century, Kilifi, Kenya 206
140 Minbar of the jamia of Ungwana 208
141 Twelve ceramic bowl inlays in the mihrab of Chwaka, Pemba Island 209
142 Ceramic plate inlays in the mosque of Makutani, Kilwa Kisiwani 210
143 Fourteenth century mihrab of Kua and bowl inlays (mosque n°1) 211
144 Carved sea coral engravings in the jamia of Mnarani 213
145 Carved sea coral bosses and mouldings in the jamia of Mnarani, Kilifi 214
146 Mihrab of Rasini (Kikoni), Ciula (Chula) Island, Bajuni archipelago 214
147 Rope mouldings in Kua 215
148 Stucco decorations in the mosque of Fort Siyu, Pate Island 216
149 Mihrab of Kizimkazi, 1107 AD 220
150 Mosque and mihrab of Kizimkazi, Zanzibar Island 221
151 First Shirazi mosque of Kilwa, 1131–1170 AD 223
152 Plan of the mosque of Sanje ya Kati in the twelfth century 224
153 Mosque of Sanje ya Kati during restorations 225
154 Qibla and mihrab of Sanje ya Kati 226
155 Plan of the great mosque(s) of Gedi, 1100–1150 and 1150–1180 AD 228
156 Great mosque(s) of Gedi, 1100–1150 and 1150–1180 AD 229
157 Mosque of Fakhr ed-Din, Mugadishu 234
158 Mihrab of Fakhr al-Din, Mugadishu 235
159 Main gate of Fakhr al-Din mosque with Gujarati white marble plaques 236
160 Gujarati white marble plaque with Arabic inscription 236
161 Simple niche mihrab in Kaole mosque n°1 237
162 Jamia of Mugadishu and minaret 239
163 Mosque and mihrab of Shengeju 240
164 Fourteenth century mihrab in the Shirazi mosque of Kilwa Kisiwani 241
165 Y reversed arch of the mihrab of Kaole n°2, Tanzania 242
166 Mihrab of Tundwa 243
167 Mihrab in the great mosque of Mnarani, Kilifi 244
168 Mosque Mkiri wa Shirazi, Domoni, Anjouan Island 245
169 Plan of the mosque of Pole, Petite terre Island, Mayotte 246
170 Plan of the mosque of Tsingoni, Mayotte 247
171 Mihrab of Tsingoni, Mayotte 248
172 Southern extension of the great mosque of Kilwa between 1421 and 1442 251
173 3D laser scan of the great mosque of Kilwa 252
174 The great mosque of Kilwa 252
175 Basic mihrab of the eighteenth century in the great mosque of Kilwa 253
176 Ablution area of the great mosque of Kilwa with sea coral bosses in a sunken court 254
177 Plan of the site of Gedi with two great mosques and six district mosques 256
178 The plan of the great mosque of Ungwana 259
179 Second great mosque of Gedi (M2), built in 1425–1450 and renovated in 1500–1550 261
180 Minbar with three steps in the great mosque of Gedi 262
181 Mihrab of the great mosque of Gedi, fifteenth century 263
182 Small mosque (M5) and the mosque “of the sarcophagus” (M6), Gedi 265
183 Mosque between the walls (M7) and funerary mosque on the southern wall (M8), Gedi 266
184 Water channel of the mosque of the long conduit (M3) and the mosque of the three bays (M4), Gedi 267
185 Plan of Songo Mnara and location of the mosques in the town 269
186 Great mosque of Songo Mnara (M6) 270
187 Mihrab of the great mosque of Songo Mnara 271
188 Kua, Small Mosque n°3 272
189 Mihrab and minbar of the great mosque of Kua (n°2) 273
190 Plan of the great mosque of Kua (n°2) 274
191 Bwana Tamu and Bwana Bakari mosques, city of Pate 275
192 Localisation of the mosques in the town of Pate, Lamu archipelago 277
193 Mosques of wa-Pwani, and wa-Mwenye Kombo, city of Pate 278
194 Mosques wa-Pokomo and Nuru, city of Pate 279
195 Stucco mihrab in the great mosque of Shela, Lamu Island 280
196 Mihrab-minbar of Mkuje mosque, Songo Mnara Island 281
197 Mosque of Sanga Rungu, Songo Mnara Island 282
198 Mihrab of Chole, Mafia archipelago 283
199 Mosque of Mboamaji 284
200 Conical minaret of Shela Mosque, Lamu Island 286
201 Ibadi mosque of Mandhiri, Sokomuhogo district, Zanzibar old town 287
202 Ibadi mosque of Laghbari, Sokomuhogo district, Zanzibar old town 288
203 Aga Khan Jamat Khana Mosque Zanzibar, Tanzania 289
204 Historical chart of the main dynasties and kingdoms in Sub-Saharan Africa and their neighbours 295
205 Map of the historical mosques of Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea 296
206 Map of the historical mosques of Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Ghana 297
207 Map of the historical mosques of Niger, Nigeria 298
208 Map of the historical mosques of Chad, Sudan, Erythrea and Ethiopia 301
209 Map of the historical mosques of Somalia 303
210 Map of the historical mosques of Kenya 304
211 Map of the historical mosques of Tanzania and Zanzibar 305
212 Map of the historical mosques of Comoros and Madagascar 306
213 Map of the historical mosques of Mozambique 307