I try to live regret-free. However, if I had to list something, it’s that I have yet to travel more of the world. That’s why I am a big fan of documentaries that take me to different areas of the world I’ve not yet experienced. While I am stuck at home, a home I love I might add, the excitement of some people’s careers takes them to exotic and little-known areas of the world every day. That includes travel blogger Olga Stavrakis and photographer Rita Willaert who got a rare look at Tiébélé, a tiny African village in Burkina Faso. (1)

2.9 Acre African Village

This little village is just 2.9 acres, home to the Kassena people. Snuggled at the base of a hill with pristine views of the Savannah, it was first visited by settlers in the 15th Century. (1)

The community included the Kassena chief or “pè”, a royal court, and its people until 2006 when the last chief died. They make up one of the oldest groups in the area with little information available about the village and its culture. Back in 2009, Olga and Rita entered the isolated area capturing breathtaking images of its unusual clay homes. The village is not so much “stuck” in time, as it is more carefully preserved. (1)

African Village Royals

The village has managed to preserve their traditions for centuries. To enter Tiébélé, Rita and Olga had to adhere to a dress code that included no red clothes and umbrellas. The rules respect the tradition that only the chiefly noble family are permitted such items. (1)

While it seems the Tiébélé have their own royal family, they are far removed from the opulent wealth of other royals. Instead, their palace consists of humble, yet beautifully built small, hand-painted clay houses. The intricate hand-painted designs combine geometrics and symbols that distinguish the royal homes from the rest. However, this is not the only distinction. Door heights and widths also show the prominence of the families within, using smaller doors for the royals. (1)

While this clearly conflicts with what modern society in the western world might associate with royalty or homes of importance, there’s good reason for this difference. Smaller doors help provide protection. The royal homes also have “kitchens” providing more than the single cooking brazier and pot of less prominent families. (1)

Another discerning marking that might make some structures seem more “chiefly” indicate quite a different structure. The most decorated clay huts mark the mausoleums of dead ancestors.  (1)

African Village Last Pè

Although the last pè died, the community continues to preserve the Kassena culture. The community cares for the village homes to help maintain their traditional skills. Despite these efforts, the structures face constant threat due to natural erosion, the risk of floods, and the eventual possibility of an influx of tourism. (1)

While cultural tourism generates economic resources to help conserve the village, it also makes it more difficult to protect the people’s culture and traditions. Tiébélé was included in the World Monuments Watch in 2012, with advocates raising funds for conservation at the Cour Royale de Tiébélé. (1)