Ancient Kano City Walls and Asociated Sties

In 1903, the Kano City Walls were described as being 'the most impressive monument in West Africa'; but, despite many pleas to the authorities concerned over the last century, the walls have been allowed to decay and even to be built over by the rich. In recent years, the better preserved walls near the Kwiambana gate have become hidden behind new houses and shops. Reconstructions have either been fanciful and non-historic or far too low - nowhere reaching more than half the 18 metre height recorded by Barth and other C19th visitors. The western section of the wall is the best section to see; but it requires using the track outside or walking along its course. The southern and eastern sides, in particular, have been beset either side by vast borrow-pits for house-building leaving only a narrow walkway between - this being very slippery owing to the loose grit from the clayey grus. The original narrow entrance gateways have also been widened for modern traffic. This overall loss of integrity was, sadly, the main reason for not listing the Kano City Walls as a priority site in the original Tentative List.

Though seriosly enchroached, Kano city wall still remains an intriguing testimony of African indigenous use of its architecture to define political space, defence and security system,labor organisation and management,etc. The city walls and their gates are characteristic settlement patterns and urban development schemes of precolonial Northern Nigerian cities which served as an effective instruments for the preservation of intangible cultural heritage and identity which is cherished by its populace uptil today.This unique heritage resource must be protected becouse it protects many other important living heritage to this day.