''Queen Amina Statue'' is an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning ' knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is ...

in honour of Queen Amina, an

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

Warrior Queen of

Zazzau The Zazzau, also known as the Zaria Emirate, is a traditional state with headquarters in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The current emir of Zazzau is Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli who succeeded the former emir, late Alhaji Shehu Idris. Ea ...

. The

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

was originally designed by Ben Ekanem in 1975 during the

Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture Festac '77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (the first was in Dakar, 1966), was a major international festival held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 February 1977. The month-long event ce ...

and was placed at the entrance of the National Arts Theatre in

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin ...

. It was destroyed in 2005 due to

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals as well as wood and artificial materials through contact with water, atmospheric gases, and biological organisms. Weathering occurs '' in situ'' (on site, with little or no movemen ...

but was however re-designed in 2014 by an unsigned artist.

Background

Queen Amina was the eldest daughter of Queen Bakwa Turunku, founder of the Zazzau Kingdom. She was a fierce Hausa Warrior Queen of Zazzau who reigned around the early 16th century. She was a fearless warrior. She was born in 1533 and was a trained warrior who was said to have great strength as a man. She was often described as a woman as capable as a man. The ''Queen Amina Statue'' was designed in memory of her bravery and exploits. She ruled for thirty-four years and died in 1610.

Description

''Queen Amina Statue'' is a colossal bronze and

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most ...

sculpture. It shows Queen Amina proudly brandishing her sword while riding on a standing horse.

Achievements of Queen Amina

Queen Amina achieved the following: * 34 years of the interrupted reign * Introduction of the metal armor to her army which included the iron helmets and chain mail * Expansion of her territory to include Nupe, Kano, and Katsina. * Control of trading routes around the Saharan Region which attracted wealth to her kingdom. * Domination of regions which include Hausa land, Bauchi Kasachen, and beyond its borders. * Linking of Egypt to South Sudan from the east and Mali from the north side with trade associates

References

{{Coord missing, Nigeria 1975 sculptures Cultural infrastructure completed in 1975 Outdoor sculptures in Lagos Monuments and memorials to women Monuments and memorials in Lagos Cultural depictions of Nigerian women Cultural depictions of queens Equestrian statues in Nigeria Statues of monarchs Black people in art