Little is known of the hidden gem in North-eastern Nigeria that attracted kings, princes, prime ministers and heads of state back in its heyday. While the media talks about insurgency and terrorism in North-eastern Nigeria and discourages people from visiting for security reasons, let's shine a light on the more appealing aspects of the region by looking at its not-so widely portrayed architecture. Late Alhaji Mai Deribe's palace in Maiduguri city was constructed in the early 1980s and is said to have been built over a period of 10 years with parts of it constructed with liquid gold. During its prime, it was known as the most expensive dwelling in West Africa. It is expansive and a sight to behold with four apartments for his three wives and his mother. While the building's architectural influences are clear to see, the architect behind the palace remains unknown. Its simple and geometrically etched courtyards, fenestrations, exterior wall embellishments, as well as its ri...
Like someone observed on your article on Yoruba Architecture, this is really a very poor work; and I am being very polite. This is better presented as a flashy magazine article to amuse one while they wait to see the dentist. How do I know? Because the works (Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo) use irrelevant references and appropriate pictures and diagrams that are not current and not acknowledged. Take the Igbo Culture and Lifestyle section; the layout of the house is first of all NOT Igbo but Hausa and it is a theoretical proposition and it was originally in a PhD dissertation from 1981; but the layout is from my 1997 dissertation. How unfortunate!!!
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