Last week, I went to Kano to see the Durbar, a centuries old festival that is a celebration marking
the end of Ramadhan, a month-long period of fasting and prayer in the Muslim faith.
(See the photos in the folder on the right.)
The Durbar is a fantastic spectacle of tribute to the Emir
of Kano by the region’s chiefs, dignitaries and family. Groups from all the towns and villages parade on horseback in
their fabulously colored native dress, each group represented in distinctive
colors and patterns.
Kano is a city of three
million people, 350 miles to the north of Abuja,
not far from the country of Niger and the Sahara Desert. The city is very old and is so
much more representative of life in a Nigerian city than is Abuja. The north of Nigeria is
predominantly Muslim and the sites and colors were very exotic.
We arrived in Kano
on Tuesday afternoon and after settling into a drab but, thankfully, clean
hotel, my fellow traveler Martin and I, set out to explore the town. The
streets were teeming with people, Okada (motorbikes that serve as taxis) and
cars. We quickly came upon a seller of suya, beef on a stick that is cooked
over wood fire coals on the street. It was not bad. We followed this up with
some Kilishi, a sun dried, roasted meat which is the Nigerian equivalent of
beef jerky. This one I enjoyed very much.
On Wednesday, we had a delicious Nigerian lunch at the home
of a Nigerian friend and then had an audience with the son of the Emir, the
Crown Prince, Alhaji Sansui Ado Bayero, who arranged for us to have seats on
the balcony of the Emir’s Palace to view the Durbar.
We spent Thursday morning visiting the local markets.
Nigerian markets are big, crowded, rambling affairs of small, outdoor shops and
stalls. Different sections of the market sell different items, so that one
section sells clothing, another shoes and another food. The Kano markets were particularly big and interesting
to explore, the people dressed in native Muslim garb.
We got to the Emir’s palace at 2:00 PM and wound up with
excellent seats for the procession that would begin at 4:00. The crowd was
already forming and by 3:00, there were many thousands packed in all around the
parade ground. The ceremonies got under way and the groups of horsemen began to
enter the grounds. The horses were as beautifully decorated as the riders. The
procession lasted for about an hour and a half, followed by a ceremony in which
each group, in turn, charged the Emir at a gallop, only to pull up short as a
sign of respect and loyalty. The climax of the day was the firing of 50 salutes
from large, deafening guns.
The following day, the horsemen and the Emir rode through
the streets of Kanoto the Governor’s palace to pay their respects. The parade route was thronged
with people, as they were celebrating a two day national holiday. The Kano Durbar has been the highlight of my stay in Nigeria, so
far. I think it must rank with the best world festivals, such as the Palio, but
is barely known outside of West Africa. It
would be worth a trip to Nigeria.
The next one will be held in late January, if you want to come.
Last week, I went to Kano 
What a wonderful experience!
Posted by: joan | May 04, 2006 at 03:34 PM