Bankass is strategically placed at the foot of the Dogon cliffs. From here, there is easy access to the Falaise, the Plateau, the plains of Koro, and points east and south. Like some other Dogon villages, Bankass holds the caiman in high regard and elevates it to the status of totem, along with another beast, the even more prickly porcupine. And although it is long gone from these parts, the king of beasts, the lion, is still held as sacred from days past when they could be found nearby, and it continues to be regarded by villagers as emblematic of Bankass. Bankass is a beautiful village on the plains. It contains a remarkable mud mosque as well as a village market.