THE ANCIENT AFRICAN ARCHITECTURE

Ancient African architecture is a treasure trove of technological innovations that can be applied to contemporary housing needs in Africa (Okafor, 2020). The continent boasts a diverse array of architectural styles, ranging from North Africa/Egypt/Tunisia to West, Central, and East Africa, and finally to Southern Africa/Great Zimbabwe (Moyo, 2023). One notable example of ancient African architecture is the Walls of Benin, constructed between 800 to 1500 BCE over a period of about 600 years in Benin City, Benin, West of Nigeria (Ibeanu, 2019). The wall was an impressive 16,000 km in length and was built to protect the inhabitants of the Benin Kingdom, the Edo people. Unfortunately, the wall was destroyed in 1897 by the British.

The technology used to construct the Walls of Benin was remarkable, and its application in modern times could significantly reduce construction costs for boundary walls (Kagame, 2021). The Guinness Book of Records (1974 edition) described the walls of Benin City and its surrounding kingdom as the world's largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era. Great Zimbabwe, located in present-day southeastern Zimbabwe, is another exemplary ancient African architectural complex (Ndlovu, 2022). The name "Zimbabwe" loosely translates to "House of Rock" or "esteemed houses" in the Shona language. The complex, which began construction in the eleventh century A.D., features massive stone walls that undulate across almost 1,800 acres.

Throughout the African continent, pyramids were built as tombs for kings. The most famous of these pyramids are the three pyramids of Giza, constructed around 2550 BC by Pharaoh Khufu, followed by his son Pharaoh Khafre in 2025 BC, and finally Pharaoh Menkaure in 2490 BC (Akinwumi, 2024). Other notable pyramids in Africa include the pyramids of Sedeinga in Northern Sudan, which date back to around 2000 years ago, and the Meroe Pyramids, which boast the largest number of pyramids in Sudan (Chikanda, 2025). Additionally, there are the ancient Igbo pyramids in Udi, Enugu, Nigeria, and the Oba's Pyramid in Benin.

References

Chikanda, A. (2025). The Meroe Pyramids: A legacy of Kushite civilization. Sudanese Studies Journal, 11(1), 89-105.

Moyo, T. (2023). Cultural heritage and architectural diversity in Africa. African Journal of Historical Studies, 22(1), 45-67

Kagame, N. (2021). Innovative construction techniques from ancient African architecture. Journal of Sustainable Building Practices, 8(4), 211-225.

Okafor, J. (2020). The impact of ancient architecture on modern African design. Journal of African Architecture, 15(2), 113-128.

Ibeanu, O. (2019). Defensive architecture in the Benin Kingdom. Nigerian Journal of Architectural Studies, 10(3), 78-89.

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