The traditional igbo building architecture was practically an offshoot of the cave environment inhabited by the igbo ancestors prior to the development of house building culture afigbo, 1981. The advent of colonialism in nigeria changed the traditional life and culture of nigerian which creates a weak connection between traditional architecture and contemporary architecture in nigeria. Materials in southeast nigeria, building materials typically consisted of. Consequently, achebe blames the white missionaries colonial rule andor invasion. This could be done by the reinterpretation of conventional modern domestic space. A lifelong learner and advanced practitioner of igbo medicine and sacred teachings, he is also a fullyinvestitured culture bearer and spiritual lineage holder eze. Hausa traditional architecture therefore can simply be defined as the art of shaping the environment to serve the requirements of hausa traditions comfortably and efficiently. This research is conducted in order to describe the modernism and postmodernism in architecture, as well as the characteristics, similarities and differences between these two with each other. The traditional architecture of the igbo of nigeria. The nature and form of islamic art islamic art is different from the art of other cultures both in form and image. Constructed within the constraints imposed by the building materials obtainable, the type of climate against which they afford protection and the financial resources available. Igbo traditional morality as a panacea to nigerian. Because of the short life and high maintenance costs of hausa traditional con struction, new building methods and materials are now being introduced which.
The sustainable traditional structural system of tongkonan in celebes, indonesia eunike kristi julistiono, b. Traditional healing systems among nsukka igbo emeka e. The nok civilization developed in the central part of nigerias present territory between 500 bc and 200 bc. Introduction the three studies of traditional and contemporary domestic units samples presented here are from benin city.
The traditional igbo law also had this covered in the words of okafor 1992. The advent of colonialism in nigeria changed the traditional life and culture of the igbos which creates a weak connection between traditional. The traditional igbo building architecture was practically an offshoot of the cave environment. However, other aspects of social system are also expressed in the domestic organization and lead to a more complex structure and dynamic than those in a simple patrilocal system. Igbo architecture is very similar to that of the yoruba, in terms of material options and construction techniques. Pdf a lesson from vernacular architecture in nigeria. Space use patterns and building morphology in yoruba and benin 023. The study reveals that traditional igbo architecture is a product of physical and cultural factors, some of which are peculiar to igboland and society.
Odinani has monotheistic and panentheistic attributes, having a single god as the source of all things. Tradition is opinion, belief, practice, customs etc. The rebirth of african moral traditions okpalike 3 western and eastern moral traditions moral traditions are patterns of moral. In the area of design and construction there is a need to modernise urban the urban fabric of lgbo architecture in southeastern nigeria in the 1990s 201 housing design whilst taking into account the more useful aspects of traditional architecture. Southeastern nigeria, the igbo speaking areas volume 3 of an introduction to nigerian traditional architecture, an introduction to nigerian traditional architecture. Pdf contemporary architecture has its roots from the vernacular. Nwafor omenigbonwaanwuushiodirimatachi is an igbo writer, philanthropist, dibia and advocate of african knowledge systems and indigenous spiritualities. The igbo village, which is a small facetoface society, is still easily recognizable. Organization and use of space spatial planning is a function of the use to which a building is put. As we turn to that landmark novel, things fall apart, the distinguished writer chinua achebe presents a description that brings the reade r close t o igb traditional architecture.
However, in terms of spatial configuration, there are marked differences. Architecture has a visual statement of ideas, which makes significance the different concepts for human and organizes the reality, a correct definition of human station in the universe that can also cause growth and elevation 24. The african ejournals project has digitized full text of. The thesis is confined to igboland, and traditional igbo architecture is studied in the. The igbo may be grouped into the following main cultural divisions.
Consequently, the chinese pyramidal cake form is a depiction of temples whereas the ordinary linear design is reserved for housing, while in america, the. Where the yoruba traditional compound favors massing, a typical igbo homestead is composed of discrete units, ranked in importance based on their relative. In the colonial a nd postcolonial periods, enviro nmental and other. There has been much speculation about the origins of the igbo people, as it is unknown how exactly the group came to form. Again, despite modern alterations, the igbo traditional political institutions. Each of the sectors of the economy was indeed a victim of this circumstance at one time or the other from the precolonial up to the postcolonial eras. These homes are usually selfcontained and fenced around to ensure privacy. Igbo art is any body of visual art originating from the people of the igbo. Nevertheless, it is pertinent to note that the igbos are the people occupying the southeast geographical zone of nigeria.
Okeke et al igbo traditional food system 367 that are produced and consumed in the community. Modern architecture in nigeria presents a bizarre picture of indiscriminate transplantation of foreign buildings, and a complete abandonment of traditional architecture. The traditional architecture of the igbo of nigeria gala university. The hausa traditional housing is an excellent reference of traditional architecture in nigeria and is thus an important socioeconomic variable in the development of the nation. It consists of a compound in which there are several houses for specific purposes. A visit to igboland today reveals an expansive spread of western mansions and cottages that have replaced the old mud walls and thatched roofs that characterised igbo architecture. The igbo residential system follows a patrilocal pattern. Pdf the traditional architecture of the igbo of nigeria. D, department of archaeology and tourism, university of nigeria, nsukka introduction the use of traditional healing remedies for ailments has always been part of human culture. The origin of these different traditional building body. Chinese architecture, the american, the early egyptian, the greek, the roman and so on. Great igbo is a town in the nigerian state of anambra which was the site of three famous archaeological sites that revealed a highly sophisticated metalworking culture. Can the traditional architecture of the igbo in nigeria be considered equivalent to other westen world visual arts.
Loam loam is a result of processing building earth and it varies considerably over the igbo speaking region. Most recent buildings designs across hausa regions in nigeria. Within this sphere of national architecture, there exists architecture of specific functions. Hence the essential requirements at the cave habitat were provided in the house environment. Family compounds and associated house types thesis. Abstract the decline in the respect for culture due to the blind embrace of westernism and the ghost of intellectual dependency has continued to haunt the whole gamut of african academia, living little or no space for the preservance of our culture.
The first, igbo isaiah, was uncovered in 1938 by isaiah anozie a local villager who stumbled upon the bronze works while digging beside his home. Identity in igbo architecture a case study of the ekwuru in okija. The research methodology is in library form and by using of books, domestic and foreign articles and. The invasion of the colonising force threatens to change almost every aspect of igbo society. The blend of traditional architecture and historical styles formed vernacular architecture. Before considering the historical influences, a mention should be made of antiquity. African moral traditions using especially igbo paradigms and then recommend the rebirth of some which may still impact on the life of todays african peoples. They have one of the highest population densities in west africa, ranging from 120 to more than 400 persons per square.
Igbo traditional morality because of the nature of this paper, it is needless going into the various historical theories of the igbo people especially the theories of origin and migration. The similarities in the traditional nigerian housing include sieve elements or filtering spaces zaure in hausa architecture, obi in igbo architecture and ate in tiv. Article information, pdf download for designing for cultural revival. Igbo traditional architecture makes use of local building materials, construction methods and takes advantage of the local climate. The traditional settlements of the hausa people of northern nigeria which are described in this article might, perhaps, come into this category. The rebirth of african moral traditions as key to the.
A number of closely clustered compounds and families form the igbo village, and several villages make up towns. Among the igbo, disease is generally referred to as aru. Meaning and relevance in nigerian traditional architecture. In the igbo mythology, which is part of their ancient religion, the supreme god is called. This paper seeks to explore the extent to which local building traditions have been retained within modern urban housing development in primarily igbo speaking areas of southeastern nigeria in the 1990s.
The architecture of the igbo people is almost as diverse as other parts of their culture. Family unit is still very important in igbo culture elders had more than one wife so his compound had. An introduction to nigerian traditional architecture. Igbo african legal and justice system a philosophical analysis. But in nigerian traditional architecture nta it is the residential domestic architecture that is highly pronounced and well developed. Igbo, also called ibo, people living chiefly in southeastern nigeria who speak igbo, a language of the benuecongo branch of the nigercongo language family. Ewemade department of architecture, obafemi awolowo university, ileife, nigeria abstract ileife is worldfamous for its sculptures, and for the pivotal role it plays in defining black culture. Although a pantheon of spirits exists, these are lesser spirits prevalent in odinani expressly serving as elements of chineke or chukwu, the.
That information means that in as much as one could follow the format of the traditional architecture, one could still make innovations. This thread will showcase different types of traditional buildings built mainly before colonisation and will include their orig in and history if avail. Apparently, the transplanted architecture does not respond to the physical and cultural needs of nigerians, and, at all events, the peoples attitude to it portrays ignorance, confusion and resignation. Igbo traditional leadership system classical social anthropologists like meek 1937, green 1947, forde and jones 1950, uchendu 1965, isichei 1976 among several others in giving historical accounts of the ancient igbo society have described it as acephalous, segmentary or stateless. Igbo mythology while today many igbo people are christian, the traditional ancient igbo religion is known as odinani. The thesis is confined to igboland, and traditional igbo architecture is studied in the context of the physical and cultural environments under which it evolved and developed. It ranges from the red, clay like, viscous material that is generally regarded as the best to the greyish soil which requires an inner reinforcement of wattle to be. Before european colonization, the igbo were not united as a single people but lived in autonomous. Pdf the urban fabric of igbo architecture in south. Identity in igbo architecture a case study of the ekwuru in okija and the obi in nimo free download as pdf file.
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