Twelve Doors of Mali


The Twelve Doors of Mali were the possessions of the Mansa of the medieval Mali Empire which was established in c.. 1235 following The Battle of Kirina. These lands were either allied to or conquered by Sundiata Keita on his campaign to free the Mandinka heartland from the Sosso kingdom of Kaniaga.

The Twelve Doors

Following his victory at Kirina, Sundiata Keita united the twelve towns of Mande known as the "twelve doors of Mali." He pacified these twelve towns and went on to bring prosperity to the land The twelve doors of Mali are listed below:
The twelve doors were the base of the Manden Kurufa. With future conquests and re-organization, they would transform into the provinces of the Mali Empire. They remained important in the political and military circles of imperial power until the end of the Mali Empire in 1645.