Sultan's Palace of Agadez

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Sultan's Palace of Agadez (1976)

The Sultan's Palace of Agadez is the seat of the Sultanate of Aïr in the city of Agadez in Niger .

history

The Sultan's Palace was built in the 15th century when Agadez became the capital of the Sultanate of Aïr. Its construction is attributed to the reign of Sultan Ilisawan from 1430 to 1449. The palace was the first adobe building in the city.

In 1740 the palace survived a siege by the Tuareg group Kel Away, who killed some of the townspeople.

The central government in Niamey had minor renovations carried out on the sultan's palace in 2002. The maintenance of the building is usually the responsibility of the sultan's master masons. The Sultanate is the owner of the palace to this day.

Location and architecture

The Sultan's Palace is located in the Katanga district to the west of the old town of Agadez . Immediately south of the palace, only separated by a narrow alley, is the Great Mosque of Agadez .

The area of ​​the palace is surrounded by a wall and extends over an area of ​​1.2 hectares . It consists of several individual buildings and courtyards. The main entrance is through the large courtyard to the west. The south gate gives the sultan and his court privileged access to the Great Mosque of Agadez. Immediately by the south gate there is a small prayer place called al'Bahira .

The main building, visible from afar, extends over three floors and is ten meters high. In the large courtyard to the west there is a prayer hall and a reception hall with a net vault and a raised ledge from which the Sultan's family can overlook events in the courtyard, as well as a zone where the sultan's horse is saddled and a zone for musicians. In the north of the area is a group of buildings called Agagir with apartments for servants of the Sultan. In front of them are open garages that are more recent.

use

The palace is the residence of the sultan and his family and houses the court and servants of the sultan.

The court consists of the following officials:

  • The Dan Galadima represents the Sultan in his absence. He is chosen from among the Sultan's family members.
  • The cadi , also known as alkali , is responsible for the jurisdiction of the sultanate.
  • The Magagia is responsible for women's affairs. She is a sister of the sultan.
  • The Tambaras support the Magagia at the level of the individual city districts.
  • The Tourawa is the Sultan's secretary.
  • The Serki yaki is responsible for military affairs.
  • The Dogarai are entrusted with police duties.
  • The Garo ensures the connection between the Sultan and his subordinate communities in the west.
  • The Serki kassoua oversees the markets.
  • The Makada is responsible for the sultanate's fanfare .
  • The Serki fawa is the leader of the butchers.
  • The Serki kofa is responsible for the gate guard of the Sultan's Palace.
  • The Galadima introduces guests to the Sultan.
  • The Makitan accompanies the Sultan on all his travels.
  • The Aghastan is an emissary of the Sultan.
  • The imam is responsible for religious matters.
  • The Madaha directs the recitation of the Quran at religious and social ceremonies.
  • The marabouts support the Madaha.
  • The Maghaali are the master masons of the Sultanate. Their leader is the Serki guina .

If the Sultan is in the city, he is honored every Thursday at dusk with a ritual called Sara in the palace. The most important members of the court as well as algaita players and drummers appear.

The palace area is used for other receptions and meetings. The large courtyard to the west is used by the townspeople of Agadez for the annual celebrations of the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast and the Festival of the Sacrifice .

literature

  • Djibo Mallam Hamani: Au carrefour du Soudan et de la Berberie. Le Sultanat Touareg de l'Ayar (=  Etudes nigériennes . No. 55 ). Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Niamey 1989, ISBN 2-85921-055-5 .

Web links

Commons : Sultan's Palace of Agadez  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Agadez. Plan de Gestion du center historique, 2012–2018. (PDF) Ministère de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Culture, January 2012, p. 26 , accessed on February 11, 2018 (French).
  2. ↑ a b Aboubacar Adamou: Agadez et sa Région (=  Études Nigériennes . No. 44 ). Pr. De Copédith, Paris 1979, p. 140 .
  3. ↑ a b Agadez. Plan de Gestion du center historique, 2012–2018. (PDF) Ministère de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Culture, January 2012, pp. 38 and 47 , accessed on February 11, 2018 (French).
  4. ↑ a b Agadez. Plan de Gestion du center historique, 2012–2018. (PDF) Ministère de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Culture, January 2012, pp. 61, 63 and 75 , accessed on February 11, 2018 (French).
  5. ^ Dorothee Gruner: The clay mosque on the Niger. Documentation of a traditional building type . Steiner, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-515-05357-3 , pp. 365 .
  6. ↑ Vanessa Fanjul Marlé: Inventaires communautaires: Boubon, Agadez et pratique de l'Habbanaé. (PDF) Gouvernement du Niger / UNESCO, 2016, p. 39 , accessed on February 11, 2018 (French).

Coordinates: 16 ° 58 ′ 29.8 ″  N , 7 ° 59 ′ 18.8 ″  E