Architecture is an essential part of Mali's heritage. Its forms are very diverse, corresponding to the varied needs of those who build and use the structures, but essentially there are three building traditions: earthen, stone, and nomadic architecture.

Widespread in Africa, earthen architecture is a construction technique that encloses spaces with walls. Besides adobe brick, construction also makes use of wood and some other plant material. Such architecture can be found in cities as well as in rural areas. Urban examples include Djenné's famous mosque and decorated houses, as well as the mausoleums and medieval mosques of Timbuktu (Tombouctou). Rural architecture is also remarkable for its impressive earthen constructions: the saho (youth houses) of the interior Niger Delta, for example, are made from clay soil mixed with straw and feature façades with rich decorative elements. Traditional houses typical of the south of the country are also made from clay and straw.