KANO - It is a Friday afternoon of
prayers, and the central mosque here is full to overflowing. The only whites in this mosque are us, as well as a few other foreign
Muslims from local embassies.Islam entered Nigeria from its northern reaches, just as it entered the enormous continent of Africa from its north as well. The Muslim community here is very active and friendly. If you think about how during the rule of the Bornu Kingdom in Nigeria prayers in the name of Sultan Abdülhamit II were read at the mosque here, you understand the true influence of the Ottomans on this land, especially here in the north. Actually, this central mosque in Abuja is interesting: It was built by German architects and set right in the middle of the city.
Due to the ethnic makeup of Nigeria, one often sees mosques and churches side by side in this country. And in fact, right next to this central mosque, there is currently a church under construction. And at the university campus in Lagos, there is a mosque and a church adjacent to each other. This is really an example of religious freedom and democracy.
One of the most serene and calm corners of the capital is the Abuja Garden. But a dance troupe shows up here especially for us, breaking the general silence of these gardens. This troupe puts on a show of special tribal dances. The first dance we see is one from the Tif tribe, just one of the many hundreds of ethnic tribes in Nigeria. It is also seen at events like weddings, births and when people are simply celebrating at becoming parents. Expressed in the dance is the legend of a snake which lived long ago and helped save the Tif tribe during a time of war. The dance itself can go on for hours, with an average time of three hours. Yes, a three-hour non-stop dance. The drums played during this dance are very important for the dancers in terms of determining the timing and which movements they are to make. And of course, the speed of the dance itself is completely in the hands of the drummers.
The second dance we are treated to is a war dance from the Ibo tribe. There are no women in this dance. Different sections of the dance tell of war itself, preparations for war and the celebration of victory in war. The Ibos are one of the three largest tribes in Nigeria, the other two being the Hausa and the Yoruba.
Nigeria is ruled by a system of states. In addition to regional governors, there are also "emirs" throughout the northern part of the country who, even if they don't have official political authority, are figures granted great respect by the citizens of these areas. There are 12 of these emirs, and they are connected to the Sokoto sultan. We go to visit the emir of the Nigerian city of Kano and are met at the emir's palace by the honorary consul for Turkey, Muhammed Hassan Koguna Bey, who is dressed in traditional clothing for Friday prayers. Koguna Bey is also an official for the regions under this emir and is a man whose work is important here. We see this clearly from the reactions people give him as we head into the palace. The ways of greeting him show respect, and reflect people's traditions. We can't help wondering what level of respect must be shown to the regional emir if this is the great level of respect shown simply to one of his authorities. What's more, there are 60 regional authorities in positions just like Koguna Bey who work under the emir.
Once in the emir's palace, we are led to a waiting salon. This emir holds special Friday afternoon sessions with people from the region prior to Friday prayers. These are sessions where people deliver special greetings and wishes to him. Now he heads towards the salon to hear these greetings. The emir of Kano has 35 special guards. The people around him say, "Long live the emir, may Allah see you live long!" as he passes by them.
After sitting on his throne, the emir receives well-wishers in groups, allowing them to speak to him. This session ends with a prayer in which the emir participates. This goes on until the groups have all met with him. According to tradition, no one stays standing during these sessions. We are the only ones standing in this special reception salon. Sitting down indicates a level of respect for the others in the room. The moment people enter the room, they immediately find a place for themselves on the floor, and when they are finished with their greetings for the emir, they exit the room in a similar mode of respect.
If something happens to a regional emir, a delegation recommends three people from the emir's family to the regional governor to replace him. The Nigerian government then decides who will be promoted to the position from those three people.
There is special meaning to the outfits worn in the palace of the emir. For example, not everyone can wear the outfit worn by our host, Koguna Bey. Another example is that if you are a member of the emir's family, then your outfit has two notches in it, indicating your status as a palace member.
We are accepted into the emir's private meeting room. We greet the emir and hold a private interview with him. The palace was built in 1314, from sun-dried mud bricks. The hay mixed with mud makes for a very cool environment in this hot climate. There are enormous walls surrounding the palace, with 12 doors in this wall.
In the Nigerian state of Kano, they call white people "Baturi," and the story behind this is very interesting. The first whites to be seen by Kano residents were Turks who arrived here during the Ottoman era. These travelers were called "baturki." Over time, the word "baturki" turned into "baturi" and became what all white people here were called, which is why people call out "baturi" to us everywhere we go, on the street, in the markets, everywhere. In the north, in general, whites are more respected than in the southern regions of Nigeria. This is because the first whites to come here were from the Ottoman Empire. Ottomans who traveled here brought with them information about setting up villages, emirates and sewage systems. The libraries here still contain civil codes from Ottoman times. Educated people from the north in Nigeria tend to know much about the Ottomans. The Ottoman state and the Kanem-Bornu state, which is in modern northern Nigeria, signed a defense agreement towards the end of the 16th century. Within this framework at the time, the Ottoman state sent ammunition and military trainers to Nigeria. This defense agreement was aimed at securing the gold trade road that descended from the Sudanese region into the Sahara desert, and included Ottoman lands to the Mediterranean, as well as covering the routes taking by people embarking on the Hajj to Mecca from the Kanem-Bornu Empire.
In the state of Kano, most people are ethnically Hausa. The Hausas are an influential tribe from the northern reaches of Nigeria. Their language and culture are strong and hold far-reaching influence throughout the country.
We decide to take a walk through the streets of Kano and come across a leatherwork factory. After the leather preparations, the goods are ready for sale. They are high-quality products; the Hausa are known for their quality leatherwork.
The policeman who dances as he directs traffic amuses not only us but all the cars and passers-by on the street as well. In fact, some people even give him money for his moves as they pass and see him.
We enter into a brief conversation with the traffic police and learn that actually, he is quite famous throughout Kano: Everyone seems to know him.
African-style kebab is the traditional Nigerian way of cooking meat. You will see fire-grilled meat, known colloquially as “brochettes,” and smoke all throughout the streets of Kano, especially in the evenings. As the aroma of the grilled meat spreads through the street, customers begin to gather around the flames and begin to eat.
When there is no gasoline available in the official petrol stations around Kano, people buy their fuel in the black markets. This is quite a normal situation in Nigeria. Of course, these illegal fuel vendors charge many times the official price, but when there is no gasoline available, people have no other choice. In fact, demand is so steep that the roads are lined with people selling illegal gasoline. Every 10 or 15 meters, you'll see such a seller.
There is much more to tell about the state of Kano, but these are just a few of the images we captured for today.