|Tomb of Askia*|
|UNESCO World Heritage Site|
|Criteria||ii, iii, iv|
|Inscription||2004 (28th Session)|
|* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.
The Tomb of Askia, in Gao, Mali, is the burial place of Askia Mohammad I, also known as Askia the Great, for his expansion of the Songhai Empire. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was built at the end of the fifteenth century after Askia Mohamed had returned from Mecca and made Islam the official religion of the empire. It remains the largest historic architectural monument in West Africa. Askia is in regular use as a mosque and a publicly owned cultural center for the city of Gao. The site and a buffer area around it are protected by both national and local laws.
UNESCO describes the Askia site as a "fine example of the monumental mud-building traditions of the West African Sahel." The complex includes the pyramidal tomb, two mosques, a cemetery dating from the time of Askia, with many inscribed stone stelae, and an open-air assembly ground. At 17 meters in height it is the largest pre-colonial architectural monument in the region. It is the first example of an Islamic architectural style that later spread throughout the region. Such structures, made only of earth mixed with water, display a remarkable diversity of form.
The Songhai Empire flourished in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries through its control of the trans-Saharan trade, primarily in salt and gold. The complex, of which the tomb is the central structure, bears testimony to that empire. Its architecture reflects the integration of local building traditions of the West African Sahel and the influences of North Africa.
Askia Mohammad I (also known as Muhammad Toure) was the first Askia emperor and greatly expanded the Songhai Empire, which flourished in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries through its control of trans-Saharan trade. As a revert Muslim (convert to Islam), he felt obligated to make his pilgrimage to Mecca, which he returned from in 1495 or 1496. During his pilgrimage, Askia Mohammad obtained the title "Caliph of the Sudan" (the area now known as West Africa) from the last Abbasid caliph, al-Mutawakkil, giving his regime a new Islamic legitimacy. He brought back with him the materials to make his tomb; all the mud and wood come from Mecca. The caravan is said to have consisted of "thousands of camels." The tomb was structured as a house, with several rooms and passageways, and was sealed when Mohammed died. Askia Mohommed is the only one buried inside the tomb itself, but several other Askias are buried in the courtyard.
Mohammad's ties with the wider Islamic world were closer than those of previous monarchs in the region. He frequently consulted Islamic judges and scholars on how to best govern his empire. One of these scholars, Al-Maghili is credited with introducing Sufism to the area and spreading the idea of the Mujaddid or "Renewer of Islam" that would become an important theme in the history of the region. Another important Islamic scholar who influenced Askia Mohammad was Jalala AI-Din Al-Suyuti, an Egyptian who advised Askia Mohammad on how to tailor Islamic law to fit the special needs of the Sahara and Sahel. Even though Askia Mohammad was a pious Muslim, he retained many traditional aspects of Songhai culture and did not try to convert non-Muslims through conquest.
Through much of its history, Gao was a center of trade and learning and served as capital of the Songhai Empire. It is similar to, and culturally connected with, the great trans-Saharan trade cities of Timbuktu and Djenne. The westernmost of the three central routes ran from the Niger River at Gao north to Tripoli, Libya.
Mediterranean economies were short of gold but could supply salt, whereas West African countries had plenty of gold but needed salt. The trans-Saharan slave trade was also important. Large numbers of Africans were sent north, generally to serve as domestic servants or slave concubines. The West African states imported highly trained slave soldiers. It has been estimated 