Ruins of Loropéni | Burkina Faso

Postcard
Ruins of Loropéni is a UNESCO World Heritage site of Burkina Faso. The 11,000m2 property, with its imposing 1000 year old stone walls, is part of a larger group of 100 stone enclosures that bear testimony to the power of the trans-Saharan gold trade.

The place was once a fortified settlement occupied by the Lohron or Koulango people who administered gold mining in the region, which probably started in the 11th century and reached its pinnacle during the 14th-17th century.