Sikasso (Bambara: ߛߌߞߊߛߏ tr. Sikaso) is a city in the south of Mali and the capital of the Sikasso Cercle and the Sikasso Region. It is Mali's second largest city with 225,753 residents in the 2009 census. History Sikasso was founded at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Mansa Douala. The town was a small village until 1876 when Tieba Traoré, whose mother came from Sikasso, became King of the Kénédougou Empire and moved its capital there. He established his palace on the sacred Mamelon hill (now home to a water tower) and constructed a tata or fortifying wall to defend against the attacks of both the Malinke conqueror Samori Ture and the French colonial army. The city withstood a long siege from 1887 to 1888 but fell to the French in 1898. Rather than surrender to the colonial army, Tieba's brother Babemba Traoré, who had succeeded him as king, committed suicide, honoring the famous Bamanankan saying "Saya ka fisa ni maloya ye" (literally: death is preferable to shame). Attractions today include the large market, Mamelon hill, the remains of Tieba Traoré's tata, and the nearby Missirikoro Grotto. The festival takes place every June, celebrating the traditional Malian instrument. Sikasso's sister city is Brive-la-Gaillarde, France. Origin of Traoré The Traoré in sikasso, was living in Gbotola (gbötöla) in kankan préfecture and Région. There was a family in this village that Sibyl informed them to sacrifice their Aunty and leave the town to go to the eastern direction and they'll become the dynasty family which would remain in history. «Their Answer Said: Impossible, we can't accept to sacrifice our Aunty for any Ambitious». But Anytimes a new Sibyl Arrived in the village, he (she) could repeat the same proposition, but the Family didn't accept it. One day, Someone else informed their Aunty about the history. Once she got it, she said : «What's good news for my family?If They didn't accept it, I would do it myself». She Prepared herself for sacrifice and Slaughtered herself. Somebody informs the family about the news, they organize her funeral and travel to the direction They were to go, and the people trusted them to make them a dynasty family like it was predicted by Sybil. Each year the king was sending the emissary to pray for the aunt, until it was interrupted for fear of Samory. Their latest visit took the time Samory