Art and Culture

Yoruba Metal Art: There is well-documented evidence that iron smelting and forging technologies may have existed in West Africa as early as the 6th century BC among the Nok people of Nigeria. Iron technology appears to have played a critical role in the fundamental social assets that fuelled the growth of significant centralized civilizations in the West African region between …

Because of the harsh weather in some parts of Africa, people had to use ointments and other cosmetics to look good and protect themselves. From the Egyptians in the north to the Himba people in Namibia in the east. Ancient Egyptians didn’t have a choice about whether or not to wear makeup. For Egyptians living in the 21st century, makeup …

The Solomonic Dynasty, also called the Solomonic Restoration, was a time in Ethiopia’s history that ran from 1270 to 1636. It’s called that because when Emperor Yekuno Amlak became emperor in 1270, he said he was the direct descendant of Menelik I, son of King Solomon and Queen Sheba. This put an end to the short rule of the Zagwes, …

One of Nigeria’s most fascinating locations is the cursed Inachalo River in Idah, Kogi state. It is said that if you catch a fish in the Inachalo River and try to cook it, the fish will always remain raw, no matter how much heat you apply. According to some other reports, they’re not your typical tilapia or catfish, but rather …

Archaeological discoveries and historical documents indicate that the ancient city of Meroe served as the capital of the kingdom of Kush, which is now located in Sudan. Kush was a northern African kingdom whose influence spanned approximately 1069 BCE to 350 CE. Although the region around Kush, later known as Nubia, had been inhabited since around 8,000 BCE, the kingdom …

If the discussion is limited to Nigeria’s version of the world’s wonders, it would be unfair to leave out the ancient city of Sungbo’s Eredo. Sungbo’s Eredo is said to be Africa’s largest single pre-colonial monument (or ancient fortification). It is now located in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, and it was built a millennium ago. This ancient city’s construction required more …

The Maasai, or Wamasai in Swahili, are an ethnic group of Nilotic people who live in northern, central, and southern Kenya as well as northern Tanzania. They are well-known around the world because they live near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes and have their own customs and ways of dressing. The Maasai speak the Maa language, …

Shewa (Amharic: ሸዋ; Arabic: شيوا, Oromo: Shawaa), formerly romanized as Shua, Shoa, Showa, Shuwa , is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. Ethiopians like to hold up their ancient civilization and superiority against colonizers and to that, it remained uncolonized. The ancient province of Endagabatan is now a part of Shewa. …

Benin Republic has immortalized  Queen Tassi Hangbe, Anti European invasion Iron-Lady who formed the Dahomey Amazons, an all-female military unit that existed in the Dahomey Kingdom. The military unit operated from the 1700s till 1904. A 98 feet tall statue of her was unvield. Africa was home to a part of the world’s best heads in the ancient era. African …

At age two, most kids would be playing games or having fun with other kids, but Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi I wasn’t one of them. He had been crowned king or Dein of the Agbor Kingdom, a traditional Nigerian state in Delta State, Nigeria, at that young age. Keagborekuzi I, who was born on June 29, 1977, also established a record …