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Adobe
HISTORY & CULTURESbeginner
Definition
A natural building material made from earth, clay, sand, and sometimes organic matter (straw), formed into bricks and dried in the sun. Adobe has been used in hot, dry climates for thousands of years. Its high thermal mass makes it ideal for desert environments — absorbing heat during the day and releasing it slowly at night.
Example
The Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali (rebuilt 1907) is the world's largest mud-brick building — an extraordinary adobe structure with protruding wooden beams (torons) used as scaffolding during its annual communal replastering.