Situated in the southwest of Burkina Faso, at about 350km from the capital city Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso is the second largest city in the country, and also a major center of culture and music. The name means "home of the Bobo-Dioula"; while it was likely coined by French colonists to reflect the languages of the two major groups in the population, it does not capture the complex identity and ethnicity of the location. The local Bobo-speaking population (related to the Mande) refers to the city simply as Sia.
In the center of the city is the Grand Mosque, built in 1880 or 1893, a very good example of Sahel mud architecture. The white structure with conical towers and its dark wooden sticks looks spectaculair. The King of Sya built it after he was in trouble with the King of Kenedougou. In return of the military help he got from an Islamic religious leader Almamy Sidiki Sanou the king of Sya promised to build a town mosque. So he did after the king of Kenedougou was stopped 30km in front of Sya.
Interesting are the construction of the ceilings - the tier of beam trunks of mahogany wood forms the base structure covered by a mixture of clay, dung and straw. This method of construction provides the roof enough stability to withstand rain and sun. The interior consists of two praying sections - one for men, the other for women. The men section is divided into 4 column framed compartments, the women section is a more or less open roofed compartment in the back side.
About the stamps
The first stamp is one of the four which forms the series Life in the Villages, issued on December 13, 2012. The second is part of the series The Cooking Instruments, issued also in 2012.
References
Bobo-Dioulasso Things to Do - Virtual Tourist
Sender: Savadogo Rasmane
Sent from Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), on 04.08.2015
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