A view of the city, Mopti, Mali

"When the French expeditionary forces arrived in the region in the late nineteenth century, Mopti was little more than a small encampment of sorko fisherman at the confluence of the Bani and Niger Rivers. the village became a French base of operations and in 1914 it replaced Djenne as a colonial regional administrative centre. By 1920 a substantial dyke had been built to link the island of Komoguel with the mainland, opening the way for European commerce." [Frishman M. and Khan H.-U., 1994: The Mosque. Thames and London Ltd.]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17,1970.