Gidan Makama Museum Kano or Kano Museum is a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

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 ...

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 ...

. This building served as temporary palace of Sarakunan Hausa (Kings of Hausa) of Kano before the current palace

Gidan Rumfa 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, Nigeria, it was constructed in the late 15th century. Since the reign of Rumfa, it has continuously bee ...

was constructed in the 15th century The museum has a significant collections of arts, crafts and items of historic interest related to the Kano area. Located in a 15th-century historical building, which is recognised as a National Monument by the Government of Nigeria. The museum is divided into 11 galleries, each with their own centre of focus. Galleries include the Zaure or the main entrance hall with displays of traditional materials, city walls and maps of Kano, the history of statehood, Kano in the 19th century, the Civil War, economy, industry and music. An open space inside the museum acts as a performance stage for a Koroso dance and drama group.

History

The house was originally built in the 15th century for

Muhammad Rumfa Muhammad Dan Yakubu, known as Muhammad Rumfa was the Sultan of Kano from 1463 until 1499. His reign was characterized by wealth and opulence and signaled the rise of the Sultanate's commercial dominance in the region. Under the guidance of famed B ...

then the young grandchild of the Hausa monarch who had just been appointed Makama Kano, a traditional title. Rumfa later became King and moved to a new palace but subsequent Makamas lived in the building. After the British capture of Kano in 1903, the place briefly served as an office for the colonial officers in Kano. The structure was later divided into three parts. One section became a museum ran by the Department of Antiquities, another became a primary school and a third maintained the original intention as a residential building. Gidan Makama is now part of museums under management of the National Commission of Museums and Monuments and one of the old structures depicting traditional

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 * ...

architecture. The structure originally contained mud walls typical of the Hausa tradition in that period but in later years some modern renovation work has taken place.

Museum

The museum is located on Emir Palace road and it is divided into 11 galleries with each containing some aspects of traditional Kanawa artifacts, pictures, musical instruments, handicraft and materials."The Place of Gidan Makama and Gidan Dan Hausa in Tourism

pinion A pinion is a round gear—usually the smaller of two meshed gears—used in several applications, including drivetrain and rack and pinion systems. Applications Drivetrain Drivetrains usually feature a gear known as the pinion, which may ...

" Africa News Service 29 July 2012. Business Insights: Global. Web. 5 Mar. 2016 The galleries are the rooms and courtyards of the old Makamas and depicts the style of a traditional residence of a Kano aristocrat. The entrance of the gates exhibited some historical pots believed to have been excavated at Kofar Kabuga, a gate within the Kano city wall and also two colonial cannons. The building hosts 11 galleries.

Galleries

The museum has 11 galleries each containing materials, artifacts and pictures representing the historical heritage of the people. * ''First'' gallery is about Hausa traditional architecture and includes building materials used by the people of Kano * ''Second'' has the Kofar kabuga gates through which the British entered and subsequently captured Kano; it also has a map showing the walls of Kano * ''Third'' exhibits a traditional religious history of Kano in pictures and the story of the early invaders of Kano led by

Bagauda Daud Dan Bawo, also known as Bagauda or Yakano, was the first King of Kano, reigning from 999 to 1063. He established a Dynasty which would go on to rule the state for over 800 years. According to the Kano Chronicle, all subsequent Kings and Sul ...

* ''Fourth'' depicts the Fulani influenced history of Kano starting from the 19th century * ''Fifth'' tells the story of theKano Civil war * ''Sixth'' tells the story of old Kano economy and the Durbar * ''Seventh'' has the colonial period and pictorial history of 20th century political figures * ''Eighth'' includes the Islamic heritage of the people of Kano * ''Ninth'' shows various occupations of the people of Kano and includes farm instruments, basketwork and textiles * ''Tenth'' has music instruments * ''Eleventh'' depicts the traditional Hausa bride's room. Some of the historical items that keept at Gidan Makama File:Gidan makama Museum 16.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 06.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 01.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 04.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 07.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 19.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 18.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 17.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 03.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 05.jpg File:Gidan makama Museum 20.jpg

References

{{coord, 11.9888, N, 8.5211, E, source:wikidata, display=title Museums in Nigeria Buildings and structures in Kano Sudano-Sahelian architecture