The palace of the Emir of Zazzau sits at the heart of the old walled city, a commanding complex of earthen walls and traditional Hausa architecture that signals the emirate's long political authority. The main structure is a fine example of the Sudano-Sahelian building style — thick mud walls, rounded buttresses, and elaborate decorative plasterwork on the entrance facade. The palace is a working royal court, not a museum, so visitors may only enter the outer courtyard and view the exterior. During the annual Durbar festival, the Emir rides out from here in full ceremonial regalia, and the square in front of the palace fills with horsemen in chainmail.
Emir's Palace
A story
The emirate of Zazzau has a remarkably long unbroken lineage: the city has been ruled by emirs since the early nineteenth century when it came under the Sokoto Caliphate, but the kingdom itself traces back to the fifteenth century — making it one of the oldest continuously governed polities in West Africa.