The project is located in the Necropolis of the Malian heritage site Tomb of Askia, in the city of Gao, nominated in 2004 in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The construction of the Tomb of Askia, dated in 1495, is attributed to Mohamed Aboubacar Sylla, known as Askia Mohamed, who inaugurated the Askia dynasty. During its reign Gao became a prominent intellectual and religious centre, establishing strong cultural and commercial ties with North Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
The heritage site Tomb of Askia is the most important and best conserved vestige of the powerful and rich Songhai Empire. It comprises different elements: a pyramidal tower, 17 meters high; two flat-roofed mosques; a vast necropolis; an assembly space (white stone square). During the occupation of Gao by armed groups, from March 2012 to January 2013, the Tomb of Askia, although not physically touched, could not be maintained nor re-plastered, with the result of accelerating the deterioration of the architectural elements. Due to the persistent situation of political instability and security volatility, the Tomb of Askia in 2013 was inscribed in the UNESCO List of World Herotage Site in Danger.
Despite the resistance opposed by the local community to the deliberate destruction of the Tomb of Askia, the cemetery and the archaeological site of Saneye, dating back to the 11th century, were severely pillaged, and the premises of the Regional Museum of Sahel damaged. The project Documentation et aménagement des sépultures historiques de la nécropole du site du patrimoine mondiale en péril Tombeau des Askia focuses on the conservation and restoration of the historic necropolis of the Tomb of Askia through the inventorying of historical graves and the cleaning and rearrangement of the necropolis area. In line with the strategic objectives of the Tomb of Askia Conservation and Management Plan 2018-2022 and with the recommendations of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the project aims at contributing to the rapid withdrawal of the Tomb of Askia from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.
