The Cliffs of Bandiagara are a sandstone chain ranging from south to northeast over 200 km (120 mi) and extending to the Grandamia massif.

The Tellem legacy is evident in the caves they carved into the cliffs so that they could bury their dead high up, far from the frequent flash floods of the area.

According to local oral history, the Dogon were relatively undisturbed by French colonial powers due to natural tunnels weaving through the Bandiagara Escarpment.

In 2005, WMF provided a grant from American Express to the Mission Culturelle de Bandiagara for the development of a management plan.

After the 2012 war in Mali, central areas of the country, including the Dogon Plateau and Bandiagara Escarpment, have become increasingly dangerous.