5/5 mahmoud faruk i. 1 year ago on Google
,
Gidan
Dan
Hausa
played
an
important
role
in
the
modernisation
of
northern
Nigeria,
but
only
a
few
know
the
history
behind
this
beautiful
building.
Michael
Oche
reports
from
Kano.
Gidan
Dan
Hausa
is
said
to
be
more
than
250
years
old,
and
was
originally
owned
by
a
local
chief
responsible
for
managing
the
Emir’s
farmland.
The
name
Gidan
Dan
Hausa
literally
means
‘The
Son
of
Hausa
residence”
in
Hausa,
it
became
the
birth
place
of
western
education
in
northern
Nigeria.
As
Kano’s
first
colonial
residency,
it
was
here
that
the
English
language
was
first
taught
in
the
North
of
Nigeria
by
Hanns
Vischer,
a
British
Educational
Officer
who
was
its
first
British
resident
in
1908.
He
taught
all
the
young
princes
of
the
Kano
Emirate
how
to
speak
and
write
in
English
and
was
given
the
traditional
title
Dan
Hausa,
meaning
‘Son
of
Hausa.’
Available
records
show
that
the
school,
which
started
with
30
pupils
in
1909,
had
a
student
population
of
209
in
1913
with
students
drawn
from
the
11
Northern
provinces.
According
to
Historians,
Vischer
arrived
in
Nigeria
in
1906
after
travelling
by
caravan
from
Tripoli,
Libya,
and
first
stayed
at
the
Emir’s
Palace
before
moving
to
the
house.
His
wife
Isabella
joined
him
in
1912.
But
the
house
was
built
more
than
150
years
before
Vischer
occupied
and
re-designed
it
and
was
used
by
the
British
until
1960.
Despite
its
pivotal
role
in
the
history
of
Nigeria,
many
northerners
know
little
or
nothing
about
the
building’s
illustrious
past.
]
Its
significance
goes
beyond
its
architectural
design,
which
is
one
of
its
most
interesting
features
and
an
outstanding
example
of
Hausa
mud-walled
architecture.
The
fact
that
it
still
remains
standing
to
this
day
shows
how
accomplished
the
architects
of
that
era
were.
Rebuilt
in
1901,
Gidan
Dan
Hausa
has
managed
to
maintain
much
of
its
original
and
unique
structure.
It
has
since
been
converted
into
a
museum
adorned
with
pictures
of
Vischer,
his
wife
and
housemaid,
and
is
also
home
to
the
Kano
state
History
and
Culture
Bureau.
Speaking
to
LEADERSHIP
SUNDAY,
the
Executive
Director
of
the
Kano
state
History
and
Culture
Bureau,
Mallam
Ali
Abubakar
Bature
said
“Hanns
Vischer
was
an
educational
officer
in
the
British
army
who
was
posted
to
Kano
as
an
educational
officer.
He
was
the
second
man
sent
by
the
British;
the
first
was
Mr.
Miller,
who
failed
to
win
the
trust
of
the
people
of
Kano
because
he
came
with
the
missionary
approach,
in
contrast
to
the
Islamic
culture
of
the
people.
Mr.
Vichser
was
a
bit
smarter
because
he
was
able
to
combine
Islamic
and
western
education.”
He
went
on
to
say
that
Mr
Vichser
“studied
the
culture
of
the
people
of
Kano
very
well,
he
was
even
able
to
speak
the
Hausa
Language.
He
mingled
with
the
people
and
got
the
acceptance
and
confidence
of
the
people
to
the
extent
that
he
was
given
that
traditional
title
–
Dan
Hausa.
He
got
married
here
in
this
house
and
his
first
and
second
children
were
born
here.
“You
can
say
that
Mr.
Vischer
laid
the
foundations
for
modern
education
in
the
north
in
Kano.
It
was
through
him
–
because
he
was
able
to
translate
Hausa
into
English
–
that
Hausa
was
first
translated
into
Latin.”
Historian
Malam
Abdukadir
Sule,
told
LEADERSHIP
SUNDAY
that
“this
is historic
building,
but
it
is
my
belief
that
Nigeria,
and
indeed
Kano
state,
has
not
really
explored
the
potential
that
lie
therein.
Monuments
such
as
this
can
attract
tourists
from
across
the
world
if
well
packaged.”
He
said
that
the
inadequate
attention
given
to
the
upgrading
of
infrastructure
of
important
national
heritage
buildings
is
responsible
for
low
returns
from
the
tourism
sector.
“Most
of
us
believe
that
museums
were
established
for
the
purpose
of
education
and
learning,
or
research
and
conservation.
However,
as
society
has
changed,
the
economic
role
of
museums
has
become
more
important
