An old city enchants

Old AgadezThe old city of Agadez in Niger Republic  unfolds  like a bit of history from another era  which has been neatly  wedded to the present, and it   truly emerges as   an unforgettable and timeless place with all the relevant sights, smells and  sounds in  the right places. It can be argued that buildings in […]

Old Agadez
The old city of Agadez in Niger Republic  unfolds  like a bit of history from another era  which has been neatly  wedded to the present, and it   truly emerges as   an unforgettable and timeless place with all the relevant sights, smells and  sounds in  the right places. It can be argued that buildings in the old city contain more of the features of the old building styles common to the city, perhaps  much more than other parts of Agadez. In the old city, you are transported somewhat, and actually begin to think you are reliving some of the  great  historical   moments which Agadez once  went through. This refers to the moment when,for instance, the Trans-Saharan trade flourished, the  gathering of camel caravans, the arrival of visitors and merchants from distant lands, and  the numerous wars which sometimes defined the history of Agadez.  Men pass by  deep  in discussion, wearing turbans of different sizes and styles. The  women stand in corners, with nice henna on their feet, dressed in long gowns and scarfs. Agadez   was founded in the 15th century when the Sultanate of Air was established, and its name means ‘visit’ in Tamasheq, a Tuareg language, and people do truly want to visit after a first experience of the city.
‘Gateway to the desert’

Known as the  ‘gateway to the desert’, Agadez was also an important  point  on the extensive Trans-Saharan trade that linked the Maghreb with the Sahel, while it flourished. Salt mines which were an important factor in the trade  also lie in the neighbourhood. In the old city can be seen narrow passage ways, a well   clad human population, and grand buildings all made of mud brick, which has made the city globally famous, and resulted in  it being  recently named a World Heritage Site. The passage ways become very narrow in some places, only to widen as the visitor advances in to the old city. The announcement by UNESCO  indicated that the city  ‘bears witness to an exceptional architectural tradition, based on sophisticated use  of mud brick.’ There are hopes too that the announcement from UNESCO will bring back the tourists. A report by AFP soon after the announcement states “Locals in Niger’s historic city of Agadez  are optimistic that its inclusion  on UNESCO’S list of World Heritage Sites will bring   tourists back after years of unrest in the area drove visitors away from its famed mud brick buildings.”
Then there is the smell. Is it the smell of old buildings, or the smell of countless centuries of human habitation? Whatever it is, this is a pleasant aroma in the old city. Thomas  Buechler  who visited Agadez recently comments on his experience in a recent article “The real charm of Agadez is just to wander around in its  narrow sandy alleys, climb the old houses.” We go from one point to the next in the old city, by means of a motor cycle,and see old palaces, and  the dwellings of eminent men of long ago.There is a church made of mud brick too in the old city ,and almost all the houses  seen are executed in the unique tradition of  mud brick, it  seems.
Numerous influences
It is important to draw attention to the varying cultural influences which affected the city,and left a mark on it, inevitably influencing its architecture in the process.For instance,as  earlier stated Agadez was an important centre during the Trans-Saharan Trade, and therefore attracted caravans from Kano,which naturally  led to Hausa becoming the official lingua franca between groups in the city,says one source. This is so even today. The North African oases of Ghat, Ghadames  and even Tripoli also had an impact on the city of Agadez, states Wikipedia. This also  gives an idea of the cultural influences that played a role in  shaping  the architecture of the city. There is the significant fact mentioned by the Ladan of the grand Mosque, that men from Agadez travelled from the city long ago to Timbuktu  in neighbouring Mali, where they learnt the art of building mosques such as the large one at Agadez. The habit of travelling to learn from the builders in another city,is a common feature of sub-Saharan  communities. One  other motif in building traditions is that of a builder being asked to travel to another community, to construct a house or a mosque, as often occured. An example from Nigeria is that of Babban Gwani of Zaria. It is said that Babban Gwani, who built the Zaria Central Mosque, later built the  one at Birnin Gwari for the Emir there. This shows that there were borrowings too from local cultures, and the use of local talent, not minding the distance, in terms of the design and construction of buildings.

Heinrich Barth in Barth’s Travels In North And Central Africa describes the house of Mohammed Boro, and this description fits the sort of  houses and dwellings still seen in the old city of Agades today. His words “The house itself consists of two storeys and furnishes a good specimen of the better houses of the town; its interior was nicely white-washed.” (p.178). Alongside these traditions of building, is a culture of leatherwork that is powered by women, and which is several centuries old in the city. On the  size of the city of  Agades during his visit of 1850, Barth writes “the town was about two miles in circuit, and when thickly populated may have contained about thirty thousand inhabitants; or even more…” Again, on the population of Agadez, Barth writes “I still think that I was not far wrong in estimating the number of the inhabited houses at from six hundred to seven hundred, and the population at about 7,000…”
City of  the Agadesawa
Very soon, as we move around we come across a man who is carrying out repairs to a section of the walls of an old house which have weakened somewhat. In the old city some of the buildings do look like palaces, what with their superior architecture, and the guide confirms this. There are houses too, which are less grand,but imposing in their special way.
Also, there are the narrow passages which you have to  carefully navigate, giving the old section a very unique aspect too. So, you must pass along in single file, but this is just for a while.Within the old quarters are a number of Qur’anic schools in which children are seen taking lessons. At a few elderly men can be seen reading from texts and discussing intensely. There are a few boreholes, and an ancient well which seems to have finally collapsed. Then there are more of the magnificent buildings up ahead. Children run about, dashing in and out of some of the ancient  but solid doorways made of mud. Truly, if you look about  you carefully, very soon you begin to confess that the  colourful Agadesawa (people of Agades) have built a beautiful city for themselves.