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Enchanting Town of Mud, the old town of Djenne.

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The town of Djenne sits along the Niger River in Mali in West Africa.

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It is a town of mud.

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The town's history goes back over 700 years.

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It thrived on the river transportation of alluvial gold

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and traded in leather crafts and rock salt.

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This is the town's meeting hall.

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This school teaches the Koran.

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Ten thousand people live within a one-square-kilometer area.

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The highest building is the Great Mosque, which stands in the city center.

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It was originally built around 1300 and then rebuilt in the early 20th century.

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People laid sun-dried mud bricks and plastered the walls with mud.

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The wood posts sticking out from the walls support the building.

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Being close to the Sahara Desert, the area lacked building materials such as wood and stone.

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People learned to build houses with the mud from the Niger River.

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When the mud is mixed with rice husks and straw and fermented for a month,

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it becomes very tough, thick and rain-resistant.

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To build a house, local people first laid sun-dried mud bricks.

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The brick walls are covered in mud plaster.

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This protects the inside of the house from the heat.

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A mud-style clay water pot keeps the water cold.

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Mud is also used for clothing.

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Here, mud is mixed with grass extract and painted on cloth.

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When mud was applied, it was dyed in black.

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During the dry season, people make some minor repairs to the mosque.

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A major event is held here once a year.

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They re-plaster the mosque walls to cover dirt and cracks made by the wind and rain during the rainy season.

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Wood posts sticking out from the wall make an ideal scaffold.

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This is a time when the Djenne people come together, making the most of what nature has to offer.

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A unique way of life still exists in Djenne today.