Page 79 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 13

MY AFRIKA

of buildings, spread over 3 square
miles. Its outer walls were made
from 100,000 tons of granite bricks.
In the fourteenth century, the city
housed 18,000 people, comparable Great Zimbabwe
in size to that of London of the
same period.

Surame In Nigeria Bling culture existed in this region.
At the time of our last visit, the
show regular courses of masonry Horniman Museum in London had
to a height of 20 feet and more in exhibits of headrests with the cap-
several places. The best preserved tion: “Headrests have been used in Africa sumptuous apartments, spacious and lofty
portion is that known as sirati (the since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs. halls, all adorned with a magnificent cotton
bridge) a little north of the eastern Remains of some headrests, once covered tapestry, the manufacture of the country.
gate . . . The main city walls here in gold foil, have been found in the ruins The floors, cielings, beams and rafters are
appear to have provided a very of Great Zimbabwe and burial sites like all either gilt or plated with gold curiously
strongly guarded entrance about 30 Mapungubwe dating to the twelfth century wrought, as are also the chairs of state,
feet wide.” after Christ.” tables, benches &c. The candle-sticks and
The Nigerian city of Kano in 1851 branches are made of ivory inlaid with
produced an estimated 10 million On bling culture, one seventeenth gold, and hang from the cieling by chains
pairs of sandals and 5 million hides century visitor to southern African of the same metal, or of silver gilt.”
each year for export. empire of Monomotapa, that ruled
over this vast region, wrote that: Monomotapa had a social welfare
“The people dress in various ways: at court system. Antonio Bocarro, a Portu-
of the Kings their grandees wear cloths of guese contemporary, informs us that
rich silk, damask, satin, gold and silk the Emperor: “shows great charity
cloth; these are three widths of satin, each to the blind and maimed, for these
width four covados [2.64m], each sewn to are called the king’s poor, and have
the next, sometimes with gold lace in be- land and revenues for their subsis-
tween, trimmed on two sides, like a carpet, tence, and when they wish to pass
with a gold and silk fringe, sewn in place through the kingdoms, wherever
Kano City, Nigeria.
with a two fingers’ wide ribbon, woven with they come food and drinks are given
gold roses on silk.” to them at the public cost as long
In 1246 AD Dunama II of Ka- as they remain there, and when they
nem-Borno exchanged embassies leave that place to go to another
with Al-Mustansir, the king of Tu- they are provided with what is nec-
nis. He sent the North African court essary for their journey, and a guide,
a costly present, which apparently and some one to carry their wallet
included a giraffe. An old chronicle to the next village. In every place
noted that the rare animal “created a where they come there is the same
sensation in Tunis”. obligation.”
In Southern Africa, there are at least
600 stone built ruins in the regions In, 1571 Portuguese forces invade
of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Munhumutapa, and started the
South Africa. These ruins are called destruction of the place. In 1629,
Mazimbabwe in Shona, the Bantu Emperor Mavhura becomes puppet
language of the builders, and means Apparently the Monomotapan royal ruler of Munhumutapa on behalf
great revered house and “signifies palace at Mount Fura had chan- of the Portuguese.
court”. deliers hanging from the ceiling. Chinese records of the fifteenth
An eighteenth century geography century AD note that Mogadishu
Great Zimbabwe was the largest of book provided the following data: had houses of “four or five stories
these ruins. It consists of 12 clusters “The inside consists of a great variety of high”.

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