africasociety

[africasociety]

Adam’s Calendar is the oldest man made structure on Earth. It is been recently known as Enkis calendar. It is located in South Africa south-west of Kruger Park being more than 75,000 years old. The stones are all dolomite, weighing up to 5-tons each. It is claimed to have been transported from a distance to the site as the Escarpment itself is composed of Black Reef Quartzite, rich in gold.

[africasociety]

Aksum is located in the highlands of northern Ethiopia. The purpose of Aksum was to symbolize wealth and the importance of the civilization of the Aksumite Kingdom. The monolithic obelisks monuments were royal tombs and the palace having dating back to the 6th and 7th century AD. other works such as stelae have survived dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries. The largest rising to 23 meters carved to represent a nine-storey building.

[africasociety]

Temple of Horus: Is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in Edfu, Upper Egypt. The temple was dedicated to the falcon god Horus built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57BC. It was built under Ptolemy III’s reign and ended on Ptolemy XII’s reign. The inscription provides information on the language, religion and myths during that time. 

[africasociety]

Bete Medhane Alem is located in Lalibela. It looks like a Greek temple but it is actually a Ethiopian church. It is said to be the largest rock-hewn church in the world measuring at 33.5m by 23.5m with a height of 11.5m. The church is surrounded by 34 large rectangular columns that have 3 jointed at the corner which are thought to represent the Holy Trinity. There are 3 empty graves in one corner said to have been for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

[africasociety]

Great Mosque of Kairouan is also known for being called mosque of Uqba is one of the most important moques in Tunisia. It was built by an Arab general, Uqba ibn Nafi, in 670 AD during the founding of the city. It is spread out to be 9,000 square metres and is the oldest place of worship in the Islamic world. It also became the model for another mosque called Maghreb. It contains a hypostyle prayer hall, a marble-paved courtyard and a square minaret. The mosque gave the city fame in which they were able to repopulate and flourish. It has such been situated into the UNESCO World Heritage.

[africasociety]

Gobarau Minaret (Katsina) is a 15 meter minaret that is located in the center of Katsina, Northern Nigeria. It has become the symbol of the city. It is said that Gobarau is the first multi story building in West Africa having been built during the reign of Sarkin Katsina king Muhammadu Korau, the first Muslim King of Katsina. The original purpose was to be the central Mosque of Katsina but it was later used as a school. Katsina had grown to become very important commercially and academically in the 16th century. Gobarau had grown into a famous institution of higher learning for Islamic education.  It has been renovated by Starkin Katsina Muhammadu Kabir Usman from 1981-2008.

[africasociety]

The ruin of the temple at Yeha. Yeha is a town in Mehakelegnaw Zone of the Northern Tigary Region in Ethiopia. It is the oldest site still standing in Ethiopia. It is dedicated to the great moon god Almougah. It was built in the style of Sabaean style like other South Arabia back in 700 BC. It was built during the Aksumite Kingdom of D’mt. The temple is built from limestone and they did not use mortar between the stones. It was carried from 90 miles away. The temple was also used as a church for 39 years while the construction of the monastery St Abuna was happening.

[africasociety]

Eastern Deffufa is 2 km east of the Western Deffufa. It is shorter by 2 stories. The Eastern Deffufa is considered a funerary chapel with 30,000 graves. The third Deffufa is similar in structure to the Eastern Deffufa.

[africasociety]

The Western Deffufa at Kerma was built around 2400 BC. It was a city that was walled that pertained to a religious building, large circular dwelling, a palace and laid out roads. On the east side of the city was a funerary temple and chapel. The city supported 2,000 people.

[africasociety]

Deffufa is a temple made of mud brick where ceremonies were performed on top. It is 18 meters tall that comprises three stories. It is located in the Kingdom of Kerma, present day Sudan. It is over 9,500 years old. Kerma is one of the earliest civilizations commanding an empire in 1600 BCE that rivaled Egypt.

[africasociety]

The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania is a funerary monument in Algeria. It was built for Berber king Juba II and Queen Cleopatra Selene II, sovereigns of Mauretania, are buried. In French it is called “Tomb of the Christian Woman” because of the cross like shape of division lines on the false door.  It was built in 3 BC made of stone by the last King of Numidia.

[africasociety]

Luxor Temple is a large ancient sandstone Egyptian temple located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city once called Thebes. It was constructed in 1400 BCE being the southern sanctuary. Luxor temple id not dedicated to any god or deified version of the king in death. It is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship. It could have been for kings of Egypt to get crowned. The rear of the temple had chapels built by Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty and Alexander. Other parts of the temple were built by Tutankhamun and Ramesses II.

[africasociety]

Byzantine Church in Athrun, Libya

[africasociety]

The Complex of Karnak Is comprised of decayed temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings. Construction first started during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom. It was then continued though the Ptolemaic period while most of the buildings date from the New Kingdom period. The main worship place during the 18th dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun. Approximately 30 pharaohs helped in building this site.

[africasociety]

Djinguereber Mosque is located in Timbuktu, Mali. It is famous for being a learning center in 1327. It was designed by Abu Es Haq es Saheli. He was paid 200 kg of gold by Musa I of Mali, emperor of the Mali Empire. It was reinforced in the 1960s with limestone blocks in alhore except for the northern façade.  The minaret was built of limestone while rendered with mud. It is made entirely of Earth plus some organic materials such as fibre, straw and wood. Djinguereber has been inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1988.

[africasociety]

Nubian Temple

Wadi al-Sebua‘s two temples were built during the New Kingdom’s 18th and 19th Dynasties. One was built by Ramesses II and the other one by Amenhotep III. The one built by Ramesses II was relocated to a higher site while the other one remained getting buried beneath the water. Wadi al-Sebua was once named “House -of-Amun”. Some parts of the temple were built from surrounding rocks. The temple built by Amenhotep III was dedicated to the Nuibian form of God Horus. Ramessess II‘s temple was built to dedicate Amun-Re and Re-Horakhty.

[africasociety]

Nubian Temple

Amada. The temple is located south of the High Dam dedicated to New Kingdom gods, Amun-Re and re-Horakhty. It was built on orders by Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II, his son, during the New Kingdom 18th Dynasty.