Introduction

For over five hundred years, the Durbar Festival has been a tourist attraction and a colorful culture in Kano. It is an equestrian and a religious tradition that takes place for four days during Eid-el-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha Muslim celebrations.

The Durbar Festival can be traced to the late 14th century when the Sarki of Kano, Sarki Muhammadu Rumfa introduced the festival as a means of demonstrating military power and expertise. Every noble household is obligated to form a troop to defend the Emirates during the Fulani Jihad. Once a year, these troops gather for a military parade to showcase their horsemanship and pledge their allegiance to the Emir. The troops charge their horses at a full speed and stop abruptly before the Emir. They wave their swords in respect before riding off. The first Durbar took place in 1911 before the amalgamation of Nigeria.

With the influence of modernity, the Durbar Festival slowly metamorphosed from a military parade to a cultural parade. Today, it is a showcase of the rich Northern culture and tradition. Now, it is a royal parade whereby horsemen adorned in vibrantly-colored garments race across the city and pay homage to the Emir. Also, these horsemen adorn themselves with different colors of turbans- a symbol of their royalty. The men at the Durbar festival adorn themselves with different colors of turbans. The Durbar Festival is a combination of four major events: Hawan Sallah- the festival riding which is succeeded by Hawan Daushe, Hawan Nasarawa, and Hawan Doriye. The Hawan Daushe is the most captivating and appealing of all and it draws more tourists than the other aspect of the Durbar Festival.

 Conclusion

As a showcase of horsemanship and colors, the Durbar Festival of Kano continues to attract hundreds of tourists across the globe. With horse parades, rich Northern music and delicious meals at the sidelines, entertainment at the Durbar Festival is at its peak!