Processes and Developments of Art and Aesthetics in Traditional Architecture in Hausaland: Prospects and Challenges

Citation: Jabbi, U.M. (2026). Processes and Developments of Art and Aesthetics in Traditional Architecture in Hausaland: Prospects and Challenges. Tasambo Journal of Language, Literature, and Culture, 5(1), 80-87. www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2026.v05i01.009.

PROCESSES AND DEVELOPMENTS OF ART AND AESTHETICS IN TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE IN HAUSALAND: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

Umar Muhammad Jabbi (PhD)
History Department, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
Phone no. +2348039273172
Email address: umjabbi@gmail.com

Abstract

This paper examines the historical development of artistic wall decoration in Hausaland, with particular emphasis on the processes involved in the creation of decorative and aesthetic designs in traditional Hausa architecture. It highlights indigenous building techniques, roofing systems, decorative motifs, and the cultural, religious, and social meanings embedded in wall ornamentation. The study also appraises Hausa architectural aesthetics by examining both the finished architectural forms and the critical responses associated with their production. The research adopts a qualitative approach to data gathering and analysis, drawing on both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained through oral interviews, site visitations, and careful observation of decorative designs on buildings, while secondary data were sourced from relevant literature. The focus of the study is Hausaland, and it demonstrates how Hausa builders use architecture as a medium for cultural expression. The findings reveal that Hausa master masons developed and mastered sophisticated decorative skills using locally available materials to satisfy both functional and aesthetic requirements. The monumental palace buildings found across Hausaland serve as clear evidence of the high level of artistic achievement and technical ingenuity attained by Hausa builders.

Keywords: Aesthetics, Architecture, Art, Hausaland

1.0 Introduction

The evolution of architecture as a visual art form develops side by side with the instinct for aesthetics. In fact, among Paleolithic man, who was chiefly identified as a cave dweller, we find the development of special skills of representation. Rock shelters in the Tissili region (the mountainous areas of the Sahara dated to the 6th millennium B.C.) contain pictures of elephants, antelopes, and birds as well as human beings (Ojo, 1982, 206). Though the primary driving force for these pictures and paintings might not be artistic display but magical, nevertheless, in the drawings there is a delight in line and form, a pleasure in creating with the hand, that is similar to artistic delight. It is then clear from this that, since very early times, man was not satisfied with the mere utility of his buildings in providing shelter; he sought to give them some attractive or decent consistency towards achieving beauty. However, it was only with the coming of the Neolithic civilization that the building art became an essential part of human life. For it was only with the command over food crop production and animal husbandry that human beings found a favourable condition for the establishment of permanent settlements (Hamlin, 1953 p. 19–20).

In the course of history, mankind has developed several important building types and several methods of construction. The earliest form of building developed by the Hausa man seems to be circular in form, using vegetal materials, before mud became a chief building material. Similar situations have been reported in relation to areas in Europe, Asia, America, and other parts of Africa (Ibid). Therefore, in most parts of the world, as in Hausaland, rectangular buildings are later developments.

Artistic decoration on buildings as well as on clothes, leather, calabashes, and other utensils has long been recognized as an integral part of Hausa culture. Relief decoration on walls among the Hausa people dates back to several centuries before the 19th century Jihad in Hausaland. The coming of Islam and Western European ideas has stamped an indelible mark of influence on the practice of artistic wall decoration in Hausaland.

1.1 Clarification of Concepts

A number of concepts used in this work require some clarification to fit properly within the context of this paper. It is in line with this that the concepts of art, aesthetics, architecture, traditional, and Hausaland are clarified and delimited to avoid any misconception.

1.1.1 Art

Art is the product of creative human activity in which materials are shaped or selected to convey ideas, emotions, or visually interesting forms. Art can refer to visual arts like painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, or visual works that combine material or form. The skill and creativity in doing any activity can be described as art (Tetteh, 2010). By aesthetics, throughout this paper, is referred to that which is involved in the creation, appreciation, or criticism of works of art or architecture in relation to other human activities or interests (Sa’ad, 1981, 7).

1.1.2 Traditional

Traditional building practice forms a major branch of indigenous knowledge systems. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language defined the word ‘traditional’ as “of or relating to tradition, handed down from age to age, not introduced directly or indirectly, originating or developing or produced naturally in a particular land or region.” For the purpose of this study, the use of the term traditional does not preclude outside influences. The term traditional building in this work embraces the vast areas of building knowledge, skills, practices, and beliefs handed down from generation to generation, and what the people themselves acquired over time from their daily interaction with their environment. Hausa traditional building practices were not static and unchanging. Rather, they are continually influenced by internal creativity and experimentation, as well as by contact with external knowledge systems. Hausaland has been in constant contact with the outside world for centuries, most especially North Africa.

1.1.3 Hausaland

Hausaland is the land of the Hausa people. It is a very vast territory, of which more than half is now in the southern Niger Republic and the other portion in northern Nigeria Sani & Umar (2018 p 17). Adamu, in line with Smith’s geographical definition, gave the territorial expanse of Hausaland as “stretching from Azbin in the Air mountain area in the north to a few kilometres south of Kufena and Turunku in Zazzau in the south, and from the middle of the Niger Valley in the west to the eastern boundaries of the Niger Republic and Northern Nigeria in the east” (Adamu, 2010, 14–15).

2.0 The Historical Development of Artistic Wall Decoration in Hausaland

The first step in the erection of any form of building is to trace the outline of the floor plan on the ground. As stated earlier, the length and breadth/width of all structures to be erected are paced out in units of measure based on the builder’s foot size. In the erection of square and rectangular building structures, the builders go to great lengths to ensure the straightness of wall outlines. Wooden pegs are erected at the end of each of the four corners of the plot or the space provided, and the builders’ rope is tied to the stakes, after which a shayi (a line, normally drawn by dragging the feet forward on the ground) is drawn to define the ground surface and the length and breadth of the structure to be erected.

On a square-sized plot or area, some master masons measure only one side through ritual foot-steppings. The measurement obtained from this process is transferred to the builder’s thread or rope. Along the rope, a shallow ditch of about one or one and a half feet is dug round for setting the foundation. In some cases, foundations are not provided, most especially if the ground level is plain and the topsoil is hard or stony. In addition, as observed by Sa’ad, “ordinary men of small means rarely provide foundations for their walls; they just scrape off the topsoil and start building.” To create a good foundation with the required load-bearing capacity, builders ensure that the normal three courses of foundation are wider than the ones on top.

The fact that the shigifa is expected to be roughly rectangular and the tubali/kunku is either round or conical in shape makes the corners a knotty problem requiring expert management. When approaching the corners, the builders make a break in the row above one or two bricks from the corner. The builder then carefully fits the mud bricks through a kind of triangulation; if the open space cannot accommodate one whole kunku, then fashi or kungu (split from the mud brick) of equivalent size is used to fill in the gaps, and mud mortar is used to plaster the structure. This difficulty in bridging the corners could explain why amateur builders prefer building with rectangular mud bricks.

2.1 Mud Roof Construction

Indigenous masons have invented several roofing styles to deal with different situations ranging from the size of the shigifa (to create structural stability) to the aesthetic requirements of clients who are members of the same society but occupy different social positions and therefore have different tastes. Prominent mud roofing styles in the area include the shimfiɗe (flat) roofing style, the kuri roof style, the banche and tauyi roofing styles, the ginshiƙi-supported roof type, and the guga roofing style, which is considered the hallmark of Hausa traditional architecture. The other roofing styles, excepting the guga roofing style, are mainly of functional value, meant to provide shelter against the elements of weather. The guga roofing style, however, is mostly constructed for its aesthetic value in addition to the function of shelter provision. It is for this reason that this section dwells more on this roofing design.

2.2 Guga Roofing Style

The origin of the Guga roofing style in Hausaland has been traced back to the mid-18th C. The Daura conference hall, built by the orders of its last pre-jihad ruler, Abdu Sarkin Gwari (d. 1805), was said to be the earliest evidence of this roofing style (Sa’ad, 1985, p. 9). The Guga roofing style is the most advanced of all indigenous roofing styles in Hausaland. That explains why it remained the preserve of the traditional elite and rich merchants. The Guga roofing style enables builders to create a free span of up to 8 meters without immediate support (Sa’ad, 209). The Guga roof is made up of two or more arches coming from diametrically opposite walls and meeting in the middle to form a vault-like structure. Therefore, there are Guga mai Masharuwa (rainbow) having two, four, or even eight arches. These could reach up to sixteen arches, as witnessed in the palace of Sarkin Gobir Madaoua (Niger Republic).

After meticulous treatment and processing of the mud mortar for arch construction, short horizontal azara lengths of not less than two cubits are laid on the wall to act as brackets (takalme) for the vertical azara members to be inserted between them and cemented with mud. Builders using rectangular mud bricks need not use wooden brackets. Spaces are created between the blocks for insertion of the inclined vertical azara beams; the blocks act as the brackets. At the first implanting, the azara will be of two cubits in length; the second implanting will be increased to two cubits and two taka. By the fourth implanting, it is increased to three cubits, and the subsequent one will be a full azara length to meet the opposite kafa in the middle. If there are still some gaps, smaller azara could be used to join the two arches. In each case of the implanting, the azara members are plastered with mud, leaving only about one cubit outside for the next implanting and alignment. It is worth noting here that the arch and wall building go side by side, and whenever the builder passes along the kafa position in his wall construction, he sets the azara slightly inclined. This process of elongating the arch through the implanting of new pieces at their back is continued until the cantilevers coming from the opposite walls meet each other. At this point, a rumfa (a raised platform supported by wooden stakes) is erected upon which the builder mounts to complete the finishing touches of the Guga and join the cantilevers from various sides. In the Zaria Mosque building, Babban Gwani used double arches connected to thin piers repeatedly through the space. This was done in order to free up space and increase the stability of the building, and this gives a very open and visually pleasing effect to one who walks through the space (Shehu, 2016, p. 39). The final roof is domed in shape.

3.0 Method of Data Collection

The research adopted a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. Data were collected through both primary and secondary sources. Interviews were conducted with some practitioners of the craft to uncover the materials utilised and the skills involved in the creation of the decorative styles. Moreover, visitations and careful observation of the designs imprinted on individual buildings form part of the primary sources of data for this research work. The secondary sources were obtained through extensive library work to source related and relevant literature.

4.0 Decorative Elements

The moment the mud roof is erected and coated with mud, the next important stage is to secure and protect the building from the ravages of weather. Side by side with the intention to provide protection to the building are the aesthetic reasons—to make the building look good. For example, in addition to the mud mortar used in binding the mud bricks or broken stones during the wall-building construction process, the builder overlays his wall with an additional coat of mud plaster, using his fingers to surface the wall with arched lines coming perpendicularly from the top and at the low base of the wall, joining tangentially in their course, or even forming a herringbone pattern.

To protect the roof from the activities of rainwater, indigenous builders have learnt to construct the kalankuwa perimeter wall. The kalankuwa wall is built along the edges of the roof to conduct rainwater to the point of discharge. The continuity of the kalankuwa wall is broken by slits where the rainwater drains (indararo) are fixed. The rainwater drains were made either from baked clay by potters or from hollowed upper trunks of trees.

On the kalankuwa perimeter wall, cone-shaped pinnacles are erected along the corners and some other desired places on the rooftop. The usual practice is to place three on each side, with one each on the corners and the remaining one at the middle. However, on the frontage of the building along the doorway, two pinnacles are constructed. The tsoraye/zankaye (pinnacles), according to the builders, are meant for the purposes of decoration. As reported by one expert on Hausa culture, Sani Habou (staff at IRSH, Maradi, Niger Republic), Gidan da baya da zanko kamar sa ne da baya da ƙaho (a building without pinnacles is like a bull without horns), indicating that it will not be good-looking. The pinnacles also provide protection for the roof, most especially as they are situated along the corners, the most vulnerable parts of the roof.

To further render the roof cover impermeable to rain, indigenous builders create an additional layer of mud cover (laso) on the rooftop. The laso plaster is of various types, ranging from the cheapest and most common to an advanced form that only wealthy patrons could afford.

The most common laso type in Hausaland involves the establishment of a layer of ashes (obtained from traditional hearths) to block smaller openings and cracks on the mud cover and also to protect the roof from termite infestation. Then, a cover of well-treated mud, most preferably mixed with makuba (empty pods of the locust bean tree) or bagaruwa (Acacia nilotica), is placed on top to cover the ashes.

A more advanced laso technique involves the creation of an admixture of different elements through a long process that makes the cost of production unbearable for low- and middle-income earners in the society. To produce the laso, dagwalon marina (sediment from an old dye pit) is scraped out during the pit-clearing process and moulded into lumps very much like the kunku and allowed to dry. The dried lumps are arranged around a wooden framework ready to be set on fire. The whole structure is then covered with thatch, corn stalks, husks, etc., and fire is lit. The fire is allowed to burn for at least a day. The final product is zarta and is whitish in colour. The zarta is then pounded into a fine powder mixed with water, where again it is trampled upon and mixed with some additives such as gashin jima (hairs obtained from the tannery) to produce cement for laso plaster. The cement so produced is used to plaster the roof, the pinnacles, and the kalankuwa perimeter wall.

4.1 Surface Wall Decoration

Surface wall decoration in Hausaland dates back several centuries. The first reference to decorations on Hausa buildings is attributed to Shaykh Usman Danfodiyo, the leader of the 19th-century Islamic revolution in Hausaland. In his criticisms of Hausa kings for their lavish lifestyles, the Shaykh accused the Hausa kings and their courtiers, among others, of living in decorated palaces (Schwerdtfeger, 2007, p. 108).

Patterns and motifs used by Hausa wall decorators have often been ascribed to two main sources. These include indigenous designs and imported oriental patterns resulting from Hausaland’s intercourse with the Islamic world. A third, more important but often neglected source is the intellectual faculty of the creative decorator (Sa’ad, p. 242).

4.2 Islamic Art and Culture on Wall Decoration

The influence of Islamic art and culture on wall decoration cannot be denied, most particularly as it affects the prohibition of lifelike forms and the use of religious symbols and writings. Motifs such as the crescent moon, the allo (wooden slate used for writing in Qur’anic schools), minarets, and kettles used for ablution were usually used on the facades of Islamic scholars and patrons who were more religiously inclined. The main pre-Islamic decorative motifs of the Hausa were natural materials that were usually associated with the totem of the group, and these may include representations of various animals such as goats and sheep, among others.

4.2.1 Dagi

External wall designs are normally concentrated around the main entrance doors. The major individual patterns are often referred to as dagi, a star-like figure (refer Appendix 1). This is the most ubiquitous of all Hausa decorative motifs, appearing everywhere and taking a variety of shapes. Virtually every decorated façade or ceiling has at least one stamp of dagi. During the regional political arrangement of the First Republic in Nigeria, the dagi was the unofficial heraldic symbol of the Northern Region and thus earned the name “Northern Knot” (Sa’ad, p. 244). It is an older and traditionally established motif of Hausa identity (Shehu, p. 13). The exact origin of the dagi motif is unknown; however, it has been reported that it was a decorative element in North Africa during the late Roman period around the 3rd century A.D. (Schwerdtfeger, pp. 67–68).

4.2.2 Talhatina

Another distinctive element of Hausa wall decoration is the Talhatina, which is a mixture of the circle and the triangle. The shape of the Talhatina is said to resemble the shape and designs of a pre-Islamic Tuareg charm also called Talhatina (Moughtin et al., p. 181). Other decorative elements include the arabesque stripe locally known as Sarka (chain), which is used on house corners to either divide motifs or provide a frame for other important decorations. Moreover, other motifs used by Hausa wall decorators include faunal and floral motifs such as Kan rago (head of a ram), Cibiyar Kura (navel of a hyena), Dabino (date palm tree), or objects like Gafaka (satchel of leather used to carry Islamic books), the Damara (Star of David) on colonial coins, Kan Sarki (crown), Bindiga (gun), bicycles, cars, among others. Hausa builders also used calligraphy as well as simple lines on their walls towards enhancing it as an aesthetic element in the design (refer appendixes).

The traditional wall relief decoration is usually designed using well-processed mud mixed with some additives. The builder uses mud-based plaster to mould patterns on the surface of the wall. After the mud is set, it is then whitewashed and paints are applied on the surface (Sarkin Gini, October 1982, p. 3). Gummy material obtained from local plants (Dafara) is added to the paints to enable them to adhere to the wall surface. The paints are made in different colours using local materials to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of Hausa patrons.

4.3 European Colonial Rule and Hausa Architecture

With the advent of European colonial rule, Hausa culture came into contact with another source of external influence. However, at the initial stage, traditional Hausa architecture was only minimally affected; the areas of influence were mainly on the design of windows and some sanitary prescriptions. The availability of funds to the colonial government as a result of the Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme after the Second World War led to the introduction of cement and corrugated iron sheets into Hausaland. Gradually, cement was introduced into traditional building practice for the plastering of walls for protection against heavy downpours during the rainy season.

With the new practice of cement plaster, another mode of wall decoration emerged. This involved the scratching of a variety of motifs onto still-wet mud cement plaster. The practitioners of this type of decoration are known as Masu shafe (sing. Mai shafe) and do not belong to the building trade. Because this type of wall decoration can be quickly carried out and is relatively cheaper, it gained wide patronage from the common man (Schwerdtfeger, pp. 44–46).

Art designs on walls in Hausaland were not merely imprinted for decorative purposes. In fact, as the Talhatina designs are said to have taken root from a magical object, this suggests that the early users of the design may have had some spiritual or magical objectives. Moreover, in my interaction with Abdurrahman Gabidan, the custodian of the regional museum in Zinder, he clearly pointed out that in the past, some of the artistic symbols on Hausa wall buildings were meant to serve magical purposes, for protection against thieves, evil spirits, and for fertility.

4.4 Hausa Architectural Aesthetics

Architectural aesthetics in Hausaland comprise the perceptual experience of the static qualities of the final product as well as the dynamic experience of how the master mason approaches his business and comports himself during the process. The critic could be a master mason, a patron, or an interested member of society.

Negative criticism (Kushewa) is normally associated with rivals of the master mason who wish to portray the architect as a novice or even insincere to his patron by producing a shoddy piece of work. Kushewa is therefore a social phenomenon where a new piece of architecture acts merely as an object that provides rivals the opportunity to vent their latent antagonism (Sa’ad, p. 304).

Another form of architectural criticism takes place during the process of construction or decoration. In this criticism, deficiencies in the work are brought to the fore for the purpose of correction (gyara). This is more common with architects in the learning process or new graduates who invite their masters to criticise their work.

A positive appreciation of the work of an architect results in Yabo (admiration). Yabo, as Sa’ad has observed, could be directed at the finished product or at the process, like Kushewa. Yabo involves the showering of lavish praise on the splendour of the work, the choice of colour in the decoration, or the ceiling structure.

Another aspect of aesthetic appreciation concerns the qualities displayed by the mason such as Kwazo, Himma (dignity), Hakuri (patience), Natsuwa (composure), and Fasaha. The inventiveness of a master mason and the originality of his work are part of the catalogue of aesthetic qualities of the critic (Sa’ad, p. 311).

5.0 Conclusion

Hausa traditional architecture has gone a long way from very simple circular structures using very simple and natural materials such as grasses, wood, and stones to complex rectangular structures. At every stage of its development, the masons try to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of their patrons through the employment of art to adorn their buildings. The various building forms signify the high artistic achievement of the Hausa builders as well as a thorough understanding of the potentials of their materials.

With the current wave of globalisation, the technical achievement of Hausa architects is facing its greatest challenge and the threat of extinction. Foreign ways of doing things, with heavy reliance on imported materials, are threatening to consume our future. This paper is not advocating for a total rejection of modern technical advancement, but rather that the new culture should grow from the old. A genuine marriage between the advances of science and technology and the technical achievements of our forefathers should guide us to the desired destination. Furthermore, government agencies should focus on the preservation of our monumental buildings so that future generations can have a source of knowledge about the achievements of their forefathers and inspiration.

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Appendixes

Source: Sa’ad H.T., ‘Between Myth and Reality: the aesthetics of Traditional Architecture in Hausaland’ PhD Thesis, University of Michigan, Armabor, 1981

Dellise L.F., Sago da Taurarwa: Enquete Sur 1’architecture et la decoration Murale a Zinder (Damagaram) Niger, June 1970-Dec. 1971