Africa has some interesting traditional houses. Most of the houses are round with a triangular thatched roof while others are of square design. Most of the houses were built based on the ethnic group needs.
Some groups were more concerned about their security and so fortified the buidings while others had houses which were more temporaly and looked like tents because they were pastoralists. What is interesting about these structures is that they are weather proof although looking at them one may not think so.
The houses are made in a way and with materials that make them cool in the hot weathers and warm in the cold rainy seasons. The materials used range from mud, brick, dung, grass and stone depending on the area. Africans are a communal people and most of the homes would be huddled together in a homestead as an extension of each other and for protection against outsiders.
In this first part I explores traditional homes in West Africa. West Africa has a rather humid climate and that may explain most of their traditional houses compared to those in the East and South Africa. The countries that make West Africa include Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Bukina Faso and Niger.
The houses are made in a way and with materials that make them cool in the hot weathers and warm in the cold rainy seasons. The materials used range from mud, brick, dung, grass and stone depending on the area. Africans are a communal people and most of the homes would be huddled together in a homestead as an extension of each other and for protection against outsiders.
In this first part I explores traditional homes in West Africa. West Africa has a rather humid climate and that may explain most of their traditional houses compared to those in the East and South Africa. The countries that make West Africa include Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Bukina Faso and Niger.
Dogon Villages, Mali: Historically Dogon Villages established in the Bandiagara area due to their resistance to Islam1000 years ago. The insecurity of Islam encroachment to their culture forced them to locate their villages in defensive positions along the walls of an escarpment. The huts are built of banco a mixture of earth and straw. The Kitchen is round and is covered by a thatched roof. They also had houses built for menstrating women as women were considered unclean during menstration.
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