Our HIDDEN Culture- Ancient Engineers of Nigeria
Borno: The capital city of Kanem-Borno, Ngazargamu, was one of the largest cities in 1658 AD; the metropolis housed “about quarter of a million people” and had 660 well planned, wide and unbending streets
Sokoto: Sokoto was once a world centre of silver minting. It supplied red leather and silver ware as far as western Europe. As such Sokoto was a very sophisticated city. Two-story buildings with constructions glazed with tsoluwa, (laterite gravel), 10 mile circumference city walls, some as high as 20 feet, is how 16th century Surame, a Sokoto metropolis created by empire ruler, Muhammadu Kanta Sarkin Kebbi, was. UNESCO describes Surame as “one of the wonders of human history, creativity and ingenuity.
Kano: Lord Lugard estimated in 1904 that there were 170 walled towns still in existence in the whole of just the Kano province of northern Nigeria. He described Kano: ‘Commercial emporium of the western Sudan.’ Of its wall, he said, ‘I have never seen, nor even imagined, anything like it in Africa.’
Kebbi: Nigeria’s Sorko Sea lords of Kebbi state, made ships (Kanta) which were used for far away expeditions, including the 1311 AD, 2000 ship, famous voyage of Songhai Empire’s Mansa Abubakari II to the America’s, decades before Columbus.
Yobe: The oldest discovered boat in Africa, and 3rd oldest on the world, the 8500 yr old Dufuna canoe was discovered by a Fulani herdsman in 1987 in Dufuna village, Fune LGA. .
Benin Kingdom: Lourenco Pinto, captain of a ship that carried missionaries to Warri in 1619, described Benin kingdom, ‘Great Benin where the king resides is larger than Lisbon, all the streets run straight and as far as the eyes can see….’ Finished in 1460 the Benin Iya or moat is a historic world defense wonder. Spanning 1,200 kilometers with walls as high as 18 metres, it is the world’s largest archeological structure. The streets of the city of Benin were laid out on a grid and intersected at right angles (just like the plan of modern cities of 20th century) and they had street lights in the earlier 16th and 17th century powered by palm oil.
Osun: Queen Luwo, the twenty-first Ooni (ruler) of Ile-Ife paved the streets with quartz pebbles—and broken pottery, in 1000AD. The architecture had decorations that originated from Ancient America. .. Sungbo’s Eredo in Ogun state (6°49?N, 3°56?E) is a 100 mile system of up to 70 ft trenches and walls around Ijebu-Ode.
Igbo Ukwu: Ancient centre of iron and bronze smiting. It appears to be one of the few places on earth in the ancient times where there appeared spontaneous invention and dispersion of high technological culture that made use of various metals in the production of material goods. The technical quality of its bronze works rivals that of ancient Egypt. It appears to be an independent center of iron invention and smiting.
is that soOUR HIDDEN CULTURE – ANCIENT ENGINEERS OF NIGERIA BY KOVAH (M) AND JAHDEY
JULY 22, 2018 | DON JAID
Excellent article