Senegal - The tumuli of Cekeen

Mounds of earth, commonly called mbanaar in Wolof, are funerary monuments made with sand. This is a procedure that was described very early (eleventh century) by the geographer Andalou Al Beckri speaking of the burial of the king of Ghana. Originally, the deceased, accompanied by some members of his court as well as important furniture and generous offerings, was placed under the roof of his hut which was then covered with earth to form a burial mound. According to a first inventory, published by Martin and Becker in 1984, there are more than 10,316 tumuli in Senegal in 1,896 sites, making it one of the largest known concentrations in Africa. Of all the sites recognized in Senegal that of Cekeen (Thiékène), a village in the center of the country, is the most remarkable. It is home to the tallest tumulus - about 12 meters - called "Wago Fal", comprised of 56 towers, one of the most spectacular tumulus sites in all of West Africa.