Royal Court of Tiébélé
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How it came to be
The Royal Court of Tiébélé stands at the foot of Tchébili hill in southern Burkina Faso, 172 km south of Ouagadougou and about 15 km north of the border with Ghana. This earthen complex has existed since the 16th century and reflects the social organisation and values of the Kasena people. It is the seat of the Pê, the Kasena customary chief, and holds the nabari, the tomb of the founder of the royal family.
Inside its enclosing wall the court is divided into compounds separated by walls and passages, which lead out to places for ceremonies and gatherings. The figure-of-eight dinian, the mother houses, are for the elderly, widows, unmarried women and children; the square mangolo are for young married couples; and the round draa are for adolescent and unmarried men. The houses are built of earth, wood, cow dung and straw.
The men of the court build the houses, and painting the walls with symbolic motifs is reserved for the women alone. The motifs are both ancient and constantly renewed, and the knowledge is passed on through practice and ceremony. The court was inscribed at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi in 2024.
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