Kong

Kong stands in the savanna north of the Ivorian forests, a centre of Muslim scholarship and trade between the Niger basin and the coast. Its earthen mosques testify to the skills of local builders and the long presence of Islam. Around 1710 the Dioula leader Seku Ouattara seized power and made Kong the centre of an expanding state. His authority and that of his allies reached across a wide area, protecting commercial routes while leaving local rulers considerable room to govern their own lands.