Dogon settlement along the Bandiagara escarpment, Ireli, Mali

"Villages in Dogon country along the escarpment are composed in clear-cut social units. A village generally consists of several wards. Each ward includes a few clans, called gina [ginna (gin'na)], meaning literally "big house." Some special buildings mark the wards and clans. Each ward has its dancing square, tei; overlooking the tei is the major togu na, the men's house; a special building, yapunu ginu, is reserved for menstruating women; each clan has an ancestral adobe, called gina. In addition, most wards have one major shrine, standing apart." [Hollyman S. and Van Beek W., 2001: Dogon, Africa's People of the Cliffs. Harry N Abrams, Inc.]. A village like Ireli, one of the larger ones along the cliffs, comprises eight wards: Nattaye, Oro, Bara, Dama, Toro, Ida, Niene and Ganie. The photograph depicts several gina located in the western part of the village. On the foreground, the gina owned by the Nataye Odou family integrates old Tellem granaries to its compound architecture. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Westinghouse Film and traveled to Africa from October 26, 1970 to end of March 1971.