Shehu’s tomb, others for Islamic heritage list

Nigeria has presented a list of five sites to the Islamic World Heritage Committee of the Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco for listing on the World Islamic Heritage List.

The sites are: Hubbaren Shehu in Sokoto State, Gobarau Minaret in Katsina, Sheikh Alimi Mosque complex in Ilorin, Mbormi Battle Ground in Gombe and Fanisau Palace Mosque in Kano. Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Mallam Yusuf Abdallah Usman disclosed this as the country prepares to attend the 9th Ministerial Conference of the organization in Oman next month.

He said the selected based sites were

on their outstanding universal value as architectural masterpieces, archaeological and historical edifices.

According to him, Hubbaren Shehu otherwise known as Sheikh Usman Danfodio House represents an outstanding example of typical Sudan-Arab Islamic traditional architecture which remained unchanged for over 200 years.

He said that the place served as one of the famous centres of Islam despite the 19th and 20th centuries period of missionary activities and colonialism in Africa. The DG further explained that the submission of these sites to ISESCO was part of Nigeria’s ongoing effort at reconsidering cultural issues using a participatory approach aimed at securing a more efficient management regime for cultural heritage.