Siby is a village and rural commune in the Cercle of Kati in the

Koulikoro Region Koulikoro Region ( Bambara: ߞߎߟߌߞߏߙߏ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Kulikoro Dineja) is a region in western Mali. It is the second administrative area of Mali and covers an area of 90,120 km2. Its capital is the city of Koulikoro. Geography The ...

of southern

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

. The commune contains 21 villages and in the 2009 census had a population of 26,632. The village lies 50 km southwest of the capital,

Bamako Bamako is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country. Bamak ...

, on the plain to the south of the Monts Mandingues. The RN5 road that links Bamako with

Siguiri Siguiri (N'Ko script, N’ko: ߛߌ߯ߙߌ߲߫; Arabic: سِجِرِ ِ) is a city in northeastern Guinea on the River Niger. It is a Sub-prefectures of Guinea, sub-prefecture and capital of Siguiri Prefecture in the Kankan Region. It is known for ...

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

runs through the village.

History

The Mandé village of Siby was founded in the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

by ancestors of the Camara. According to the

Epic of Sundiata ''Sunjata'' (; Manding languages: ''Sònjàdà'', also referred to as ''Sundiata'' or ''Son-Jara''; ; ) is an epic poem of the Malinke people that tells the story of the hero Sundiata Keita (died 1255), the founder of the Mali Empire. The ep ...

, the King of Siby, Kamandjan Kamara, whom

Sundiata Keita Sundiata Keita ( Mandinka, Malinke: ; 1217 – c. 1255, N'Ko spelling: ; also known as Manding Diara, Lion of Mali, Sogolon Djata, son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba) was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire. He was als ...

knew from childhood, brought the kings of the tribes allied against Soumaoro Kanté, King of the

Sosso The Sosso Empire, also written as Soso or Susu, or alternatively Kaniaga, was kingdom of West Africa that originated as a vassal of the Ghana Empire before breaking away and conquering their former overlords. Inhabited by the Soninke ancestors ...

, together at Siby. The troops of Sundiata Keita had just won two battles against the Sossos at Negueboria in the Bouré and at Kangigné. In Siby, all the allied kings found themselves gathered around Sundiata Keita: Kamandjan Kamara, king of Siby, his cousin Tabon wana Fran Kamara, king of the Camara

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

s, Siara Kouman Diabaté, Faony Diarra Kondé, king of the country of Do, the country of Sogolon and the mother of Sundiata, Mansa Traoré. After a few days of rest, the allies went to Kirina where the decisive

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

against Soumaoro Kanté took place. On the top of the mountain, an arch, from where one has a splendid sight on the surrounding plain, is dug in the rock. According to legend, it was Kamandjan Kamara who transpierced the mountain with his sabre the day before the departure, during an evening where Balla Fasséké asked each king present if he was able to do so. After the decline of the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire (Manding languages, Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or ''Manden ...

, the area around Siby was ruled from the city of Kangaba. Siby itself was a series of fortified villages on top of the escarpment. When the French colonized the area they built a highway at the base of the cliff, and gradually the local population relocated to the side of the road, with neighborhoods of the new town of Siby consisting of populations of the former clifftop villages.Jansen, Jan. “In Defense of Mali’s Gold: The Political and Military Organization of the Northern Upper Niger, c. 1650–c. 1850.” Journal of West African History, vol. 1, no. 1, 2015, pp. 1–36. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.14321/jwestafrihist.1.1.0001. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.

Further information

The city cooperates with Ramonville Saint Agne, France. The first two editions of the Forum des peuples were held in Siby in 2002 and 2003. Image:Arche de Kamandjan Siby.jpg, A local natural monument, the Arch of Kamandjan Image:Ancien fourneau.jpg, Old iron-smelting furnace near Siby Image:Enclume de Niekema.jpg, The Anvil of Niekema, a rock formation overlooking the village File:Fillette devant maison BOGOJA.jpg, A young girl in front of a painted wall

References

* Djibril Tamsir Niane, ''Soundjata ou l'épopée mandingue'',

Présence africaine ''Présence Africaine'' (French for ''African Presence'') is a pan-African quarterly cultural, political, and literary magazine, published in Paris, France, and founded by Alioune Diop in 1947. In 1949, ''Présence Africaine'' expanded to include ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, 1960. * Résultats provisoires du Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat 2009 rchivesur Institut national de la statistique (Mali), 2010. Consulté le 18 mars 2010 {{Commonscat, Siby (Mali) Populated places in Koulikoro Region

History

Further information

See also

References