The Gidan Rumfa, sometimes called the Gidan Sarki ("Emir's house"), is the palace of the

Emir of Kano Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremo ...

. Located in the city of

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria * Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...

Kano State Kano State (Hausa: ''Jihar Kano''جىِهَر كَنوُ) (Fula: Leydi Kano 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞤲𞤮𞥅 ) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the northern region of the country. According to the national census done in ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, it was constructed in the late 15th 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 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 organizati ...

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.

Today

Gidan Rumfa houses the Emir and his wives, children and aides. The population resident in 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