African Architecture

African Architectural Design

The triangular majesty of Egyptian pyramids is the image that first emerges into modern minds when African architecture is mentioned although as someone suggested, it is often forgotten that Egypt is on the African continent. However, there is much more to African architecture than the iconic North African Pharaoh tombs. The various kingdoms and empires that have existed across Africa across time have left impressive designs and techniques, some of which have defied time and made modern designs reinvent themselves.

Discover African Architecture beyond the Egyptian Pyramids

Discover the Matakam cylindrical huts in Cameroon, the circular huts of the Sotho people of Lesotho. Unearth the impressive mud mosques and other Islamic monuments of Niger, Mali, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and beyond. Notice the varied attention to detail and styles in the decoration of Bamileke chiefs’ houses, Hausa homes and South African Ndebele villages. Visit the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia. Uncover so much more… When you have quenched your thirst at the source of traditional African architecture, rediscover it as it re-invents itself, inspired by both worlds it sits between, fusing the teachings of its many traditions and the resources and knowledge from the outside worlds.