NIGERIA: A LAND OF BEAUTY-by Marta González-López

NIGERIA: A LAND OF BEAUTY

This year, the school’s solidary project is destined to helping Nigeria. Nigeria is a country that for many of us is still an unknown and an undiscovered wonder. In this post, I intend to share a bit of what I’ve learnt about Nigeria through its breathtaking sceneries.

First of all, I must say that Nigeria has two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Sukur Cultural Landscape and Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. A UNESCO World Heritage site is a place declared of great natural or cultural importance. Therefore, it is a huge honor being included in the list elaborated by the UNESCO.

The Sukur Cultural Landscape:

Situated on a hilltop in North-eastern Nigeria, Sukur is an ancient settlement which represents a living memory of the past of Nigeria’s agriculture, traditions and religion. It is an environment that has survived over the centuries unchanged, that way, we are able to observe the behavior of the human’s use of land and human relationship with its nature. Sukur is covered with terraces on the farmlands, stone structures and stone paved walkways.

The Sukur Cultural Landscape is a National Monument and it makes it possible to understand in a better way how societies have evolved. It contains the Hidi’s Palace (the chief’s community palace) that is a place of great religious significance; a proof of this is the amount of altars built near this construction.

Moreover, it is also an historic placement where there is evidence of Neolithic occupation thanks to the abundance of iron furnaces and grindstones.

 

The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove:

Located in Southern Nigeria, the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is one of the last remains of the primary high forests in this country. It is thought of as the home of the goddess of fertility Osun. In addition, it contains many sanctuaries and sculptures dedicated to this goddess, characteristics of the Yoruba people; this is why it is regarded as a symbol of the Yoruba’s culture and testifies that, in the past, there existed a widespread practice of consecrating forests to deities.

 

The existence of these two sites and its recognition by the UNESCO, shows what an amazing and outstanding country Nigeria is. I am truly glad for having discovered and learnt such interesting facts about a part of the earth I never thought could be so beautiful. This post can also serve as a reminder of the necessity of stopping global warming and pollution so as to keep the planet alive, that way we will be able to enjoy this landscapes and sceneries forever.