A tata or tata somba is a historic type of

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

used throughout

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

. The word is applied to the wall itself as well as the elite living spaces within it for the ruler of the tata and his court. It can also designate the defenses around a major city or other military center.Oumar Ba, "Le royaume du Kabou : enquêtes lexicales", ''Éthiopiques'' , October 1981 The term 'tata' derives from the

Mandinka language The Mandinka language (; Ajami: ), or Mandingo, is a Mande language spoken by the Mandinka people of northern Guinea-Bissau, the Casamance region of Senegal, and The Gambia where it is one of the principal languages. Mandinka belongs to ...

but has used across a wide area, roughly corresponding to the former

Mali Empire The Mali Empire (Manding languages, Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or ''Manden ...

, since at least the 16th century. Tata are often made of wood and rammed earth or

mudbrick Mudbrick or mud-brick, also known as unfired brick, is an air-dried brick, made of a mixture of mud (containing loam, clay, sand and water) mixed with a binding material such as rice husks or straw. Mudbricks are known from 9000 BCE. From ...

, but sometimes of stone as well. They usually have round or square towers, sometimes thatched, with arrow or gun slits. Tata ruins, such as that of

Maba Diakhou Bâ Mamadu Diakhou Bâ (1809 – July 1867) was a Muslim leader in Senegambia (West Africa) during the 19th century. He was a disciple of the Tijaniyya Sufi brotherhood and became the Almami of Saloum. Maba Diakhou Bâ combined political and rel ...

near

Nioro du Rip Nioro du Rip is a town and urban commune in the south-west of Sénégal, situated about to the south-west of Kaolack and from the border with The Gambia. History The town of Nioro du Rip was the capital of Rip (a kingdom of the marabout l ...

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

, generally date from the 19th century, though some are older. The construction materials used make them vulnerable to erosion and degradation if not maintained regularly. The tata of northern

Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...

and

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

are a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

List of tatas

Tata of Sikasso The tata of Sikasso, known locally as ''tarakoko'', was Tata (fortification), a series of ramparts initially constructed in Sikasso under the reign of Tieba Traoré, Tiéba Traoré (king of Kénédougou Kingdom, Kénédougou), from 1877 to 1897, ...

Tata of Chasselay Tata of Chasselay () is a cemetery in the city of Chasselay, Rhône including almost 200 graves of Senegalese Tirailleurs murdered during the Chasselay massacre of World War II. History From 19 to 20 June 1940, French troops delayed the e ...

* Koniakary Tata * Tata of Kansala * Tata of

Yang-Yang Yang-Yang is a village in northern Senegal, the seat of the eponymous Yang-Yang Arrondissement since 1976. It was made the capital of the Kingdom of Jolof in 1865 under Bakane Tam Khary Dialor. Buurba Alboury Ndiaye built a Tata (fortification ...

Images

File:Pg109.jpg, The

, illustration by

Édouard Riou Édouard Riou (; 2 December 1833 – 27 January 1900) was a French illustrator who illustrated six novels by Jules Verne, as well as several other well-known works. Life Riou was born in 1833 in Saint-Servan, Ille-et-Vilaine, and studied und ...

File:Tata_à_Kouaba.jpg, A tata in

Kouaba Kouaba is a town and arrondissement in the Atakora Department of northwestern Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Natitingou. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de l ...

Bénin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

File:KédougouTata.jpg, The tata of

Kédougou Kédougou ( Wolof: Keédugu) is a town in the Kédougou Region of south-eastern Senegal near the border with Mali and Guinea. It lies at an elevation of above sea level. Founded by the Malinké people, Kédougou means the "Land of Man". The t ...

Sénégal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to the southwe ...

(

1881 Events January * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The Chilean army ...

) File:Intérieur_du_tata_à_Abéché.jpg, Interior of the tata of Abeche in

Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...

(1918) File:Benin_Tata_Somba.JPG, A reconstructed tata somba in

File:Tata_sénégalais_de_Chasselay.jpg, The

File:Kankelefa 1849.png, The tata of Kankelefa (1849) File:Yang-Yang Tata Map.jpg, The tata of Yang-Yang, Senegal

Bibliography

* * "Tata", in Bernard Nantet, ''Dictionnaire de l'Afrique. Histoire, civilisation, actualité'', Larousse, Paris, 2006 (nouvelle édition), * Raymond Mauny, "Du nouveau sur les murs Tata de Dakar", ''Notes africaines'', , Dakar, 1943, * C. Meillassoux, "Plans d'anciennes fortifications (Tata) en pays Malinké", ''Journal des Africanistes'', 1966, tome 36, 1,

References

{{Portal, Africa Military terminology Culture of Africa