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The.ismaili > node
24 April 2008


CEREMONY OF INAUGURATION OF THE GREAT MOSQUE OF MOPTI

Mawlana Hazar Imam addresses guests at the Inauguration Ceremony for the
Komoguel I Mosque in Mopti.

Location
Mopti, Mali
Related Information
 * Event summary
 * Speech by President Amadou Toumani Touré
 * Photographs: Aga Khan in Mopti
 * Photographs: Rehabilitation of the Great Mosque of Mopti

Related Links
 * Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme around the world
 * Aga Khan Trust for Culture
 * Event: Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee visit to Mali



Bismillah-hir-Rahmanir-Rahim

Mr President,
Ministers,
Regional Governor,
Mr Mayor,
Village chiefs and dignitaries of Komoguel, Imam of the Mosque
Honoured guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Asalaam-o-aleikum

Today I am pleased to be able to inaugurate the newly-restored Great Mosque of
Mopti, also known as Komoguel Mosque, and to later visit the various projects
currently underway to improve the environment in the historic district of
Komoguel.

I should like to extend special thanks to the President of the Republic and the
Minister for Territorial Administration and Local Community Affairs for their
presence here today and for the support given by the government, regional
authorities, the Mayor, Mr Oumar Bathily, the town council, and the Komoguel
Local Development Committee to this project.

The significance of this project extends far beyond the physical restoration of
the architectural structure of the mosque.

The history of the Ummah has reason to remember the prestige and influence of
Mali ’s great mosques. At the height of the empire, in the eighth century, it
was from these great seats of learning, these veritable centres of intellectual
and spiritual activity, that Islam spread across Africa . It is therefore an
immense privilege for me to be able to restore these magnificent mosques. Here
in Mopti, and in Djenne or Timbuktu, the great tradition of mud brick building
has been revived and the skills acquired can henceforth be put into practice in
the construction of all mud brick buildings, whether intended for religious or
secular purposes.

The work of revitalising the mosques is gradually being extended to their
surrounding neighbourhoods to include all residential accommodation situated in
the shadow of the minarets. How wonderfully symbolic it is that the outcome of
efforts to restore the mosques should be to improve the quality of life of the
people whose lives follow the same rhythm as theirs!

The restoration of the Great Mosque of Mopti is the result of close
collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and the National Cultural Heritage
Department (DNPC), the regional and local authorities, the Mosque Committee and
the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and of the dedication of numerous professionals
and craftspeople from architects and conservation experts to stone masons,
bricklayers, plasterers, metal workers, potters and electricians.

This project has made it possible to combine modern heritage conservation
techniques with the processes and materials traditionally employed in the
construction of mud brick buildings. The participation in the project of the few
stone masons who still practice banco pourri has meant that more than 30 young
people have been trained in this traditional technique, thus ensuring that is
handed down to the next generation.

This is especially relevant in Mali where there is a danger that traditional
artisans will gradually disappear, taking with them the skills and knowledge
accumulated by previous generations of builders. Hence, restoring this important
monument has provided the opportunity to perpetuate a tradition and also to
ensure the future conservation of built heritage with appropriate techniques,
competently applied.

Many other buildings and villages constructed out of mud which may be less
visible but are nonetheless significant in the context of the region are
awaiting inspection and urgent protection and will require considerable
cooperation on the part of national institutions and international
organisations. It is encouraging to know that Mali has been selected to host
this year’s international Terra conference on mud brick architecture. In the
next few years, the AKTC plans to contribute to this international effort, not
only by restoring important buildings but also, in cooperation with the Ministry
of Culture, by setting up a national list of mud brick structures, a move that
is becoming increasingly urgent in view of the increasing deterioration of the
country’s mud brick architectural heritage and the dangers it faces.

In parallel to the restoration of the Great Mosque, the Trust has, in
collaboration with Mopti’s local community and other AKDN agencies, launched a
pilot project to improve the quality of life of people living in the immediate
neighbourhoods, by responding to some of their most pressing needs. The AKTC s’
initial commitment is to improve access to water and to an upgraded sewage
network and to put in place social development, vocational training and
micro-finance projects.

While these environmental management programmes centering on the mosques are
designed to ensure that the whole population will benefit from an improved
quality of life, the work nevertheless forms part of a more global vision of
urban development.

Indeed, my fear is that urban modernisation will lead to an increase in property
speculation and the uncontrolled development of tourist infrastructures which
will eventually swallow up the mosques within the urban fabric. Sadly, we see
that in many large Muslim cities, the minarets of our mosques, those towering
symbols of our faith from the top of which the call to prayer rings out, are
lost amid blocks of local authority housing, drowned out by the hubbub of the
city.

My hope is that the regeneration of the areas around the mosques will mean the
preservation and protection of the heritage of our glorious past which deserves
our respect and admiration.
And it is our duty as Muslims to contribute to and to encourage this effort, as
the Holy Qu’ran reminds us by commanding us to leave the world in a better
condition than that in which we received it, and instructing us to help one
another in the performance of good works.

Thank you.





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