THE SAMORY TOURE MOSQUE OR BÔGÔ MISSIRI

From a distance, you might think you're looking at a termite mound — but you'd be wrong. This is the Bôgô Missiri Mosque of Tingrela. According to local lore, the mosque was built around 1655, in a traditional Sudanese architectural style. If you're searching for the mosque's minaret, you'll find it on the eastern side of the building (can't see it yet? Keep walking around). According to the elders, this minaret has quite a story to tell. When Samory Touré came to attack Tingrela, he turned back because of a swarm of bees near the minaret. Since 2021, the mosque has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tingrela is a town in Côte d'Ivoire, located at the far north of the country, 108 km north of Boundiali, right on the border with Mali.