Urban landscape, African

Aksum
The city of Aksum emerged several centuries before the birth of Christ, as the capital of a state that traded with ancient Greece, Egypt and Asia.
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Ancient ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata
The ksour are trading and religious centres along the ancient Sahara trade routes. This four towns date from the 11th and 12th century.
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Djenné
Djenné is situated on an island in the Bani-river, in central Mali. It was a prospering city from the 14th til the 16th century, when it acted as an important station on the Trans-Sahara route.
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Ghadames
Ghadames is an oasis town and one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities. The old part of the town, which is surrounded by a wall, has been declared World Heritage of the UNESCO.
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Harar
Harar is a fortified historic town in southeastern Ethiopia. It has been a major commercial center, linking African and Islamic trade routes.
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Koutammakou
Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba, lies in northeastern Togo. It was made a WHS because of the singular culture of the Batammariba, manifesting itself in the architecture of the mud Takienta tower-houses set in aesthetically pleasing landscapes.
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Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou
Aït Benhaddou is a 'fortified city', or ksar, along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco.
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Lamu Old Town
Lamu town is the largest town on Lamu Island, at the north side of Kenya's Indian Ocean coast. Lamu Old Town is the oldest and best preserved example of Swahili settlement in East Africa: it has maintained its social and cultural integrity, as well as retaining its authentic building fabric up to the present day.
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Timbuktu
The inscription actually narrows down to the three large mosques and sixteen cemeteries and mausoleums of Timbuktu.
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