Kano History Demographics Layout and geography Places of interest Major hotels and relaxation centres Getting around Other information History Kano is the second largest city in Nigeria after Lagos and is the capital of Kano State. Kano is located in Northern Nigeria. The principal inhabitants of the city are the Hausa people. Like in most parts of Northern Nigeria the Hausa Language is widely spoken in Kano. The citys traditional ruler is the Emir of Kano, and the current Emir, Ado Bayero, has been on the throne since 1963. The city is home to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. Nigeria’s second largest city, Kano, was a caravan terminus for trans-Saharan trade and a great commercial centre for centuries. Today, it is still a bustling centre for West African commerce. Kano was founded about 1000 BC on the site of present day Old Kano City. It was surrounded by a 12 metre high that ran for 20km around the city and had 16 huge gates. The wealthy emirate of Kano was a great political force before Kano was captured by the Fulani in 1807. It was taken by the British in 1903. In the 7th century, Dala Hill, a hill in Kano, was the site of a group of a community that engaged in iron-working; it is unknown whether these were Hausa people or speakers of Niger-Congo languages. Kano was originally known as Dala, after the hill, and was referred to as such as late as the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th by Bornoan sources. The Kano Chronicle identifies Barbushe, a priest of a Dala Hill spirit, as the citys first settler. (Elizabeth Isichei notes that the description of Barbushe is similar to those of Sao people.) While small chiefdoms were previously present in the area, according to the Kano Chronicle, Bagauda, a grandson of the mythical hero Bayajidda, became the first king of Kano in 999, reigning until 1063. His grandson Gijimasu (1095-1134), the third king, began building city walls at the foot of Dala Hill, and his own son, Tsaraki (1136-1194), the fifth king, completed them during his reign. Muhammad Rumfa ascended to the throne in 1463 and reigned until 1499. During his reign, he reformed the city, expanded the Sahelian Gidan Rumfa (Emirs Palace), and played a role in the further Islamization of the city, as he urged prominent residents to convert. The Kano Chronicle attributes a total of twelve innovations to Rumfa. According to the Kano Chronicle, the thirty-seventh Sarkin Kano (King of Kano) was Mohammed Sharef (1703–1731). His successor, Kumbari dan Sharefa (1731–1743), engaged in major battles with Sokoto. At the beginning of the 19th century, Fulani Islamic leader Usman dan Fodio led a jihad affecting much of northern Nigeria, leading to the emergence of the Sokoto Caliphate. Kano was the largest and most prosperous province of the empire. This was one of the last major slave societies, with high percentages of enslaved population long after the Atlantic slave trade had been cut off. Heinrich Barth, a classical scholar who spent several years in northern Nigeria in the 1850s, estimated the percentage of slaves in Kano to be at least 50%, most of whom lived in slave villages. The city suffered famines from 1807-10, in the 1830s, 1847, 1855, 1863, 1873, 1884, and from 1889 until 1890. From 1893 until 1895, two rival claimants for the throne fought a civil war, or Basasa. With the help of royal slaves, Yusufu was victorious over Tukur, and claimed the title of emir. British forces captured Kano in 1903 and made it the administrative centre of Northern Nigeria. It was replaced as the centre of government by Kaduna, and only regained administrative significance with the creation of Kano State following Nigerian independence. From 1913 to 1914, as the groundnut business was expanding, Kano suffered a major drought, which caused a famine. Other famines during British rule occurred in 1908, 1920, 1927, 1943, 1951, 1956, and 1958. By 1922, groundnut trader Alhassan Dantata had become the richest businessman in Kano, surpassing fellow merchants Umaru Sharubutu Koki and Maikano Agogo. Demographics Kano is largely Muslim. The majority of Kano Muslims are Sunni, though a minority, adhere to the Shia branch. Christians and followers of other non-Muslim religions form a small part of the population, and traditionally lived in the Sabon Gari, or Foreign Quarter. Christians alone comprise about 1% of the population. Layout and geography Kano is situated at 12°00′N 8°31′E / 12°N 8.517°E / Coordinates: 12°00′N 8°31′E / 12°N 8.517°E / . It has long been the economic centre of northern Nigeria, and a centre for the production and export of groundnuts. Kano houses the Bayero University and a railway station with trains to Lagos routed through Kaduna, while Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport lies nearby. Because Kano is north of the rail junction at Kaduna, it has equal access to the seaports at Lagos and Port Harcourt. Formerly walled, most of the gates to the Old City survive. The Old City houses the vast Kurmi Market, known for its crafts, while old dye pits – still in use – lie nearby. Also in the Old City are the Emirs Palace, the Great Mosque, and the Gidan Makama Mosque. Kano has six districts. They are the Old City, Bompai, Fagge, Sabon Gari, Syrian Quarter, and Nassarawa. As of November 2007, there are plans to establish an information technology park in the city. The city is supplied with water by the nearby Challawa Gorge Dam, which is also being considered as a source of hydro power. Places of interest Durbar Festival The Emir of Kano hosts a Durbar to mark and celebrate the two annual Muslim festivals and Eid-ul-Fitr (to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (to mark the Festival of Sacrifice aka Eid –El- Kabir). The Durbar culminates in a procession of highly elaborately dressed horsemen who pass through the city to the Emirs palace. Once assembled near the palace, groups of horsemen, each group representing a nearby village, take it in turns to charge towards the Emir, pulling up just feet in front of the seated dignitaries to offer their respect and allegiance. When to Go The annual the Eid-el-fitri (end of the Ramadan fast) and the Eid-El- Kabir festivals are the most ideal to be in time for the durbars. The Gidan Makama Museum, located in the ancient city, holds a wide ranging collection of historic and ethnographic exhibits relating to ‘Kanawa’ Civilization and Hausa Land. Built in the fifteenth century as the palace of one of the greatest Emirs of Kano, Muhammadu Rumfa, it is known for its traditional architecture, the museum was declared a national heritage site in 1995. It also served as the residence and offices of the British Governor of Nigeria, Lord Lugard. Opposite the museum, the Emir’s palace is the most striking example of Kano’s traditional Hausa architecture. The interior is accessible only to those invited by the Emir, but its sheer majesty makes it worth a sightseeing visit. The Kofar Mata Communal Dye Pits are also worth a visit. Dating from 1498, they are the oldest in Africa, and the only survivor of Kano’s dye trade. Major hotels and relaxation centres Prince Hotel has villa style sections set in spacious grounds and in a quiet but convenient part of the city. It has an outdoor pool, a well-rated restaurant, conference facilities and wifi access in most areas of the hotel. Location: 1 Tamandu Road, Nassarawa Telephone: 234 (0)64 2001601 – 03, Website: princehotelng Tahir hotel is a modern hotel well suited to the business traveller. Centrally located, it has a restaurant serving international cuisine, in room wifi, conference facilites and a travel agent Location: 4, Ibrahim Nastsugune Road, off Audu Bako Way, Nassarawa Telephone: 234(0)64 315281, 317245-6 Website: tahirguestpalace Eating out Savour Nigerian dishes and as well as continental meals at Pounded Yam & Co situated at Lodge Road and Airport Road; Green Park Restaurant on Ahmadu Bello Way, Nassarawa G.R.A., also Ten-0-Five on Post Office Rd and Airport Rd. For oriental foods, try the Peacock Restaurant opposite N.T.A, while the Magwan Suya Spot on Audu Bako Way and Green Park on Ahmadu Bello Way are equally good places to relax and have a couple of drinks in the evenings. Getting around There is no organized car hire service within the city. However, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria registered cabs is a reliable means to travel between the airport and hotels. Yellow and blue taxis are safe and reliable for trips around the city. However, for the daring and adventurous, the popular ‘Achaba’ motorbikes are the most popular and convenient means of moving around. Other information Air Travel Kabo Air, Max Air and IRS Airlines all have their operational base on the grounds of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano as well as their Head offices based in Kano. Kabo and Max Air specialize in Hajj and Ummrah operations while the latter IRS Airlines is a domestic carrier. Other Airlines which operate into Kano on the domestic routes are Air Nigeria, DANA Air, Aero Contractors and Arik Air, while EgyptAir, Middle East Airlines, SAUDIA and KLM operate schedule International flights into and out of Kano. Shopping For sculptures, brass, silver stone and wood carvings, leather and skin products have a browse in Kurumi Market, Kano’s oldest market, also founded in the 15th Century by the Emir, Muhammad Rumfa. Kwari Market is the largest textiles market in West Africa where you can pick up assorted textile fabrics like the Guinea brocade, java and wax prints. Meanwhile Abubakar Rimi (Sabon Gari) market is supposedly the largest open Market place in West Africa, Selling virtually any merchandise from food, clothing, household items to jewelleries. The Emirs Palace at Kano, which today continues to define the axis of the city, was built in the fifteenth century by Sarkin Rumfa (also Rimfa). Rumfa transformed the fabric of Kano, and was said to be the author of twelve innovations in Kano, including the palace and the Kurmi market, according to the Kano Chronicle. However, before the erection of the Gidan, or Dakin, Rumfa (sic. House of Rumfa), there existed a palace, the south gate of which now serves as the passage from the Sarkins private courtyard to the royal graveyard. The 33-acre palace continues to house about 1,000 people in some of the most desirable housing in Kano. The palace grounds occupy the highest space in Kano. The entire palace complex is embraced by a wall of 20 to 30 feet high from the outside the height of which never exceeds more than 15 feet from the inside. Visitors at the turn of the twentieth century commented on the walls durability, which was said to have been 15 feet thick in some places. It is tapered inward and surmounted by rounded crenellations. The exterior wall, similar to the exteriors of the buildings inside the complex, is modestly decorated with shallow arched grooves traced in the mud plaster. The eleven mile wall was once surrounded by a moat with a parapeted bridge to the main south gate. The main entry gate of the complex, Kofar Kudu, is located in the southern façade of the wall. This gate that has bronze detailing, is recessed from the line of the wall. Within the walls of the recession are studded loopholes, as once a mantelet was hung in front of the gate. Legend has it that this southern gate was sealed by Muhammad Rumfa in the 1480s, soon after the completion of Gidan Rumfa, on the advice of the towns official Islamic scholar, or malam, who prophesized that as long as the southern gate was sealed, the Rumfa dynasty would remain in power. Not until just before 1806 was the mantelet ostensibly removed, and the Rumfa dynasty then fell from power. The palace compound used to contain grazing land for the royal cattle as well as the houses of the palace retainers, public reception rooms, and the apartments of the Sarkin himself. After entering through the confines of the outer wall of the palace complex, one is confronted on the same axis by the impressive and more recent Soron Gabjeje gateway. The graceful two-story height of the doorway of the gate is buttressed by two sturdy gatehouses. The thick tapered sides of the gatehouses visually hug the slender central passage. Though the defining feature of the passage is the central steeped arch interrupted by a thin-railed passage, the side buttresses complement the center through the replication of vertically elongated windows. These side gatehouses also mimic the central roofline crenellations and corner pinnacles, which in Hausa architecture define the intersection of interior and exterior walls. Numerous other gates set up a hierarchy of accessible space through a series of courtyards. One such gate, which leads into the Soron Giwa (or Hall of the Elephants), is said to demarcate the space for the pasturing of the royal elephants. Like the Soron Gabjeje, each gate is set in an impressive gatehouse called a zaure (plural, zauruka). Many of the gates, which originally were circular entrance vestibules, have taken on a rectangular shape, such as the Soron Gabjeje gateway. This early twentieth century transformation from round to rectangular rooms is a larger trend in Hausa architecture. The Soron Gabjeje is the first court of the palace complex. The north gate of the Soron Gabjeje, which leads to the reception rooms, is much more modest. Entering through it into the next courtyard, one enters a passage that is flanked on the east by the royal audience chamber. At the end of this passageway is yet another gateway, the Soron Giwa, which leads into a private royal courtyard. Crossing this passage leads one to the outer room of the Sarkins private apartments. This processional access of the palace resembles an elongated version of a typical Kano house, where entry through a zaure (in this case the Soron Gabjeje) leads to the semi-private kofa gida courtyard which is bounded to the north and east by reception spaces. As in a traditional Kano house, one proceeds from this space into the private apartments which shelter the familys private cikin gida. In the case of the palace, the main reception rooms, the Soron Ingila to the northeast of the courtyard, and the Soron Giwa to the northwest of the courtyard, were built of clay with a door on each side, and were connected by narrow dark passages. The most elaborately decorated parts of the palace are these two royal audience chambers. The Soron Ingila interior reaches a height of between six and eight meters. The room is divided in two by high domed bays created by five arches each. These intersecting arches comprised of coupled corbels, are a unique element of Hausa architecture called bakan gizos. The main audience chamber is comprised of 20 such corbels forming ten bakan gizos. These structures are covered with azaras, heavy rigid timbers that are resistant to termites and decay, laid in two directions. These are then covered with layers of azaras set horizontally until they reach the height of the domes apex. These azaras are usually plastered into the wall, which is made of tubali, or sun dried bricks. The plaster reveals the azaras coffering which defines rectilinear shapes on the wall surfaces. In the ceiling these beams are often left exposed to reveal their linear patterning. Inlaid enamel bowls stud the intersection of the arches. The massive doors to the room are comprised of planks bound together by iron bars fastened by nails and then ornamented with circular brass heads. Practically the entire ceiling and walls are decorated with grooved patterns and bold paint. The ceiling, the beams and the floor are stained a deep black by the varnish from a locust bean shell. The walls are plastered with a mixture that includes mica, giving the walls a silvery sheen. This plaster is burnished with a stone to give the raised sections of the grooves this soft gleam rather than a glittery effect. Mica is non-static and therefore does not attract dust as well as repelling spiders and hornets from building their webs and nests inside the dark buildings. The palace undergoes constant restoration and has been replastered multiple times throughout the centuries. More recently, yellow dye has been introduced to the micaceous clay giving the sheen more of a gold than silver tint. Also more recently, restoration craftsmen have gummed mica flakes onto the yellow base. The soffits of the arches and the ceiling panels in between are decorated with brightly painted sculpturally molded abstract designs. The abstract designs are coupled with more figural features, including a picture of an ablution jug, or santali, near the doorway. In another reception building, designated for the signing of the Sarkins visitor book in the mid-twentieth century, one can find a representation of a sword painted onto the wall. These more bold designs are probably from the 1930s and 1940s and are more representative of an increasingly popular deeply incised style from southern Hausaland. Along with the attention to constant maintenance and repair, craftsmen have maintained stylistic license in applying new patterns and colors. The northernmost section of the palace opens onto a public space, through the Kofar Fatalwa, still very much in its fifteenth century form. The dendal, or public plaza, runs on an east-west axis and aligns the Friday Mosque, or Masallacin Jummaa, with the north-south axis of the Emirs palace.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:52:39 +0000
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