The Dogon are a group of people living in the central plateau region of the country, south of the Niger bend near the city of Bandiagara in the Mopti region. The Dogon are best known for their mythology, their mask dances, wooden sculpture and their architecture. The principal Dogon area is bisected by the Bandiagara Escarpment, a sandstone cliff of up to 500m (1,640 ft) high, stretching for about 150 km (almost 100 miles). Dogon life is centred on sacred rights and rituals which take place in the hollow cliffs of the escarpment on which the Dogon houses are built. Dogon culture is surrounded in mysticism and intrigue, from an astonishing knowledge of the solar system to the unique structure of Dogon villages.
The Rock paintings of Songho is dating centuries. It is the place where young men are circumcised and initiated to manhood.
