Mali

Timbuktu's legendary manuscripts and ancient mosques, Djenné's Grand Mosque—the world's largest mud-brick structure, Dogon Country's cliff dwellings and animist traditions, Bamako's vibrant music scene birthing desert blues, the Niger River's life-giving waters, Sahara Desert's golden dunes, Mandinka and Tuareg cultural heritage, and a crossroads of Sahel civilization.