The Gidan Rumfa, sometimes called the Gidan Sarki ("Emir's house"), is the palace of the Emir of Kano. Located in the city of Kano,

Kano State Kano (Hausa language, Hausa: ) is one of the 36 States of Nigeria, states of Nigeria, located in the Northern Region, Nigeria, northern region of the country. According to the national census done in 2006, Kano State is the List of Nigerian st ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, it was originally constructed in the late 15th century, with later transformations and additions made up to the 20th century. Since the reign of Rumfa, it has continuously been the residence of the traditional authority in Kano and was retained by the Fulani jihadists who took over traditional authority in Kano in the early 19th century. It currently has an area of .

History

Gidan Rumfa was originally built in the late 15th century on the outskirts of the town of Kano. The new building extended the reach of the town and also led to the establishment of the Kurmi market.

Architecture

The palace covers a space of about 33 acres and its open plan design is surrounded by walls up to 15 feet high. The structure is rectangular in shape and its

landscape ecology Landscape ecology is the science of studying and improving relationships between ecological processes in the environment and particular ecosystems. This is done within a variety of landscape scales, development spatial patterns, and organizatio ...

can be divided into three classifications: open spaces, gardens and living quarters/built up areas. Structures within the living quarters and built up areas include the Kofar Kudu or Southern gate, offices, mosque, Soron ingila (English hall), royal courtrooms, a primary and secondary school and living quarters. The iconic Kofar Kudu gate was built by the Emir Abdullahi Maje Karofi in the second half of the 19th century.

Today

Gidan Rumfa houses the Emir and his wives, children and aides. The resident population of the Emir's private quarters numbers up to 200, while more than a thousand individuals live within the structure. The space surrounding the structure is dominated by gardens.

References

Sources

* {{Commons category, Gidan Rumfa Buildings and structures in Kano Palaces in Nigeria Sudano-Sahelian architecture