Queen Amina Statue
Queen Amina Statue at the entrance of the National Arts Theatre in Lagos
ArtistBen Ekanem
Year1975 (1975)
TypeSculpture
MediumConcrete
Bronze
ConditionErect
LocationLagos, Nigeria

Queen Amina Statue is an equestrian statue in honour of Queen Amina, an Hausa Warrior Queen of Zazzau.[1] The sculpture was originally designed by Ben Ekanem in 1975 during the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture and was placed at the entrance of the National Arts Theatre in Lagos State.[2] It was destroyed in 2005 due to weathering but was however re-designed in 2014 by an unsigned artist.[3]

Background

Queen Amina was the eldest daughter of Queen Bakwa Turunku, founder of the Zazzau Kingdom. She was a fierce Hausa Warrior Queen of Zazzau who reigned around the early 16th century.[4] She was a fearless warrior. She was born in 1533 and was a trained warrior who was said to have great strength as a man.[5] She was often described as a woman as capable as a man.[6]

The Queen Amina Statue was designed in memory of her bravery and exploits.[7] She ruled for thirty-four years and died in 1610.[8]

Description

Queen Amina Statue is a colossal bronze and concrete sculpture. It shows Queen Amina proudly brandishing her sword while riding on a standing horse.[9]

Achievements of Queen Amina

Queen Amina achieved the following:

  • 34 years of the interrupted reign
  • Introduction of the metal armor to her army which included the iron helmets and chain mail [10]
  • Expansion of her territory to include Nupe, Kano, and Katsina.[11][12]
  • Control of trading routes around the Saharan Region which attracted wealth to her kingdom.
  • Domination of regions which include Hausa land, Bauchi Kasachen, and beyond its borders.
  • Linking of Egypt to South Sudan from the east and Mali from the north side with trade associates[13]

References

  1. ↑ Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch (1997). Africaines. WestviewPress. ISBN 978-0-8133-2360-2.
  2. ↑ Drum. African Drum Publications. 1979.
  3. ↑ Ozolua Uhakheme; Moyosore Adeniji (3 September 2008). "Honour for heroes". The Nation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Wale Ogunyẹmi (1999). Queen Amina of Zazzau. University Press PLC. ISBN 978-978-030-567-3.
  5. ↑ "Queen Amina | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  6. ↑ "The Marvel of Queen Amina of Zaria: 'Sarauniyar Yariman Arewa'". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  7. ↑ Africa Woman. Africa Journal Limited. 1981.
  8. ↑ "Queen Amina: The Real Strength In A Woman". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  9. ↑ Ginette Curry (1 January 2004). Awakening African Women: The Dynamics of Change. Cambridge Scholars Press. pp. 13–. ISBN 978-1-904303-34-3.
  10. ↑ "The Marvel of Queen Amina of Zaria: 'Sarauniyar Yariman Arewa'". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  11. ↑ "The Marvel of Queen Amina of Zaria: 'Sarauniyar Yariman Arewa'". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  12. ↑ Toyin Falola and Ann Genova (2009). Historical Dictionary of Nigeria. United States of America: Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 473. ISBN 978-0-8108-6316-3.
  13. ↑ Caroline Akello (2015). "The Achievement and Impacts of Queen Aminatu in African and Women History". academia.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-23.

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