This thread will showcase different types of traditional buildings built mainly before colonisation and will include their orig in and history if avail. Odinani has monotheistic and panentheistic attributes, having a single god as the source of all things. The rebirth of african moral traditions okpalike 3 western and eastern moral traditions moral traditions are patterns of moral. Igbo architecture is very similar to that of the yoruba, in terms of material options and construction techniques. Igbo art is any body of visual art originating from the people of the igbo. A lifelong learner and advanced practitioner of igbo medicine and sacred teachings, he is also a fullyinvestitured culture bearer and spiritual lineage holder eze.
Consequently, the chinese pyramidal cake form is a depiction of temples whereas the ordinary linear design is reserved for housing, while in america, the. However, in terms of spatial configuration, there are marked differences. The nature and form of islamic art islamic art is different from the art of other cultures both in form and image. Southeastern nigeria, the igbo speaking areas volume 3 of an introduction to nigerian traditional architecture, an introduction to nigerian traditional architecture. A number of closely clustered compounds and families form the igbo village, and several villages make up towns.
Loam loam is a result of processing building earth and it varies considerably over the igbo speaking region. Okeke et al igbo traditional food system 367 that are produced and consumed in the community. In the colonial a nd postcolonial periods, enviro nmental and other. Igbo traditional architecture makes use of local building materials, construction methods and takes advantage of the local climate.
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. 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 traditional architecture of the igbo of nigeria gala university. This could be done by the reinterpretation of conventional modern domestic space. That information means that in as much as one could follow the format of the traditional architecture, one could still make innovations. But in nigerian traditional architecture nta it is the residential domestic architecture that is highly pronounced and well developed. Before considering the historical influences, a mention should be made of antiquity. Igbo architecture in a traditional environment in the olden days is emerging.
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. The traditional igbo law also had this covered in the words of okafor 1992. 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. Hence the essential requirements at the cave habitat were provided in the house environment. An introduction to nigerian traditional architecture. Pdf contemporary architecture has its roots from the vernacular. These homes are usually selfcontained and fenced around to ensure privacy. Within this sphere of national architecture, there exists architecture of specific functions. Materials in southeast nigeria, building materials typically consisted of. The invasion of the colonising force threatens to change almost every aspect of igbo society. It consists of a compound in which there are several houses for specific purposes.
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 study reveals that traditional igbo architecture is a product of physical and cultural factors, some of which are peculiar to igboland and society. The research methodology is in library form and by using of books, domestic and foreign articles and. The igbo may be grouped into the following main cultural divisions. Traditional healing systems among nsukka igbo emeka e. 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. Nwafor omenigbonwaanwuushiodirimatachi is an igbo writer, philanthropist, dibia and advocate of african knowledge systems and indigenous spiritualities. The origin of these different traditional building body. 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. 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. In the igbo mythology, which is part of their ancient religion, the supreme god is called. Identity in igbo architecture a case study of the ekwuru in okija and the obi in nimo free download as pdf file. The traditional settlements of the hausa people of northern nigeria which are described in this article might, perhaps, come into this category. Introduction the three studies of traditional and contemporary domestic units samples presented here are from benin city.
Pdf the traditional architecture of the igbo of nigeria. Pdf the urban fabric of igbo architecture in south. Article information, pdf download for designing for cultural revival. Again, despite modern alterations, the igbo traditional political institutions. Tradition is opinion, belief, practice, customs etc. 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.
Introduction the traditional igbo economy rested on three major sectors namely agriculture, nonagricultural production and trade. They have one of the highest population densities in west africa, ranging from 120 to more than 400 persons per square. Although a pantheon of spirits exists, these are lesser spirits prevalent in odinani expressly serving as elements of chineke or chukwu, the. Family compounds and associated house types thesis. Most recent buildings designs across hausa regions in nigeria. 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. 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. The traditional architecture of the igbo of nigeria. The traditional igbo building architecture was practically an offshoot of the cave environment.
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 similarities in the traditional nigerian housing include sieve elements or filtering spaces zaure in hausa architecture, obi in igbo architecture and ate in tiv. Pdf a lesson from vernacular architecture in nigeria. The rebirth of african moral traditions as key to the. There has been much speculation about the origins of the igbo people, as it is unknown how exactly the group came to form. Among the igbo, disease is generally referred to as aru. Chinese architecture, the american, the early egyptian, the greek, the roman and so on.
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 traditional morality as a panacea to nigerian. Igbo mythology while today many igbo people are christian, the traditional ancient igbo religion is known as odinani. The nok civilization developed in the central part of nigerias present territory between 500 bc and 200 bc. The thesis is confined to igboland, and traditional igbo architecture is studied in the. Identity in igbo architecture a case study of the ekwuru in okija. Where the yoruba traditional compound favors massing, a typical igbo homestead is composed of discrete units, ranked in importance based on their relative. Meaning and relevance in nigerian traditional architecture. Before european colonization, the igbo were not united as a single people but lived in autonomous.
Igbo african legal and justice system a philosophical analysis. Modern architecture in nigeria presents a bizarre picture of indiscriminate transplantation of foreign buildings, and a complete abandonment of traditional architecture. The architecture of the igbo people is almost as diverse as other parts of their culture. Space use patterns and building morphology in yoruba and benin 023. 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. 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 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. The urban fabric of igbo architecture in southeastern. The african ejournals project has digitized full text of. Consequently, achebe blames the white missionaries colonial rule andor invasion. The sustainable traditional structural system of tongkonan in celebes, indonesia eunike kristi julistiono, b. The blend of traditional architecture and historical styles formed vernacular architecture. Can the traditional architecture of the igbo in nigeria be considered equivalent to other westen world visual arts. 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. The advent of colonialism in nigeria changed the traditional life and culture of the igbos which creates a weak connection between traditional. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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. Constructed within the constraints imposed by the building materials obtainable, the type of climate against which they afford protection and the financial resources available. Organization and use of space spatial planning is a function of the use to which a building is put. Family unit is still very important in igbo culture elders had more than one wife so his compound had. The igbo village, which is a small facetoface society, is still easily recognizable. 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.
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