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Your Tokyo analogy is striking. No one thinks of Tokyo as an American/Western city even though it clearly incorporates Western technologies like skyscrapers, cell phones, cars, and even attire (suits, etc). The same was true of Africa's Bamum civilization. They incorporated foreign influences to their pre-existing architecture, but end product is still driven by their own innovation and is distinct from whatever influenced them. (Also, fun fact. Even ancient traditional Japanese architecture wasn't 100% free from foreign influences. The iconic Japanese pagoda and torii (gate) actually derived from the Indian stupa and torana, respectively. But obviously, no one says, "therefore, Japan wasn't built by Japanese." Of course it was. We all recognize that humans can borrow influences to create something entirely new and unique. But for some reason, the same consideration isn't given to Africans that innovate upon pre-existing ideas. Gee, I wonder why...) Finally, I've noticed a disturbing pattern in the way racists rationalize African innovation: First, they assume they can't innovate. Then when that's proven wrong, they attribute the innovation to a foreign, non-African people. Then when _that's_ proven wrong, they label the innovation "instinct." They said it about music. They said it about survival. They even said it about architecture in this very video (the quote by Marie Pauline Thorbecke at 11:30). It goes to show that racists have already made up their minds about black people and go through great lengths to see confirmation bias in every little thing.
Many colonials at the time atrributed civilization or anything impressive to foreign influence as you said despite influence being quite normal in the grand scheme of history. Rhodesia also did something similar with Great Zimbabwe. Another thing ive noticed is when they cannot prove it wasnt made by them, they attack the structure itself in a sort of 'i never liked it anyway' sort of way and try to emphasize their flaws.
@@ExcooseMwah Exactly. For example, some people say Great Zimbabwe is just a wall, nothing special. But it was apparently special enough for colonial Europeans to have attributed it to the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Vikings. Anyone besides the natives.
Can you imagine being so shocked by the fact that Africans were able to create buildings so beautiful and grand that you feel like you need to say it came from European influence? Even though I'm sure they've been using their own architectural style long before the Germans arrived! 😂
Unfortunately I get comments from people like that every single day. Any and everything good about African history or culture is either automatically attributed to foreigners or denied outright as "misinformation."
I'm actually German and I literally can't imagine thinking that. Like, they knew that these buildings were older than contact with Europe, right? Absolutely bizarre way of thinking.
Back in the early 20th century, that way of thinking was just another day in the office among Europeans. It was at the zenith of the colonization of Africa. Unfortunately, that mindset still made its way into the thoughts of some moden day bigots as well.
They weren't shocked, they were just that hateful. I take it you've never ran across someone so filled with hate that they lie about everything. They will see blue, but lie and tell you they see orange.
This reminds me of when Europeans tried to claim the ancient city of Zimbawa wasn’t built by Africans because it was too impressive, but when they learned it wasn’t, the people assigned to preserve it decided to destroy much of structures.
Too impressive? It's just a circular rock wall ffs. Which means Europeans thought that the people in Zimbabwe were so primitive and backward that a circle rock wall was something they couldn't do. Yikes. It speaks for itself.
Future African Architecturers, Let embrace, develop and modernize our Ancient architecture. Let our future african cities have a true African identity with pillars and sculptures not the current one we are doing.
learning about history makes my heart ache,how deprived we are of thse treasures and aesthetics. imagine if architecture of downtown african cities maintained the style and motifs once used!
I am not to surprised that Europeans thought the buildings our ancestors built wasn't made by us because of the negative stereotypes they had back then and even to this day. We are the first house builders, and we make things according to the environment around us, but due to colonialism and racism they dismissed our knowledge but now with more info like this are coming out we can be proud of who we are.
14:40 Yeah I agree, the old palace is way better looking than the new one. The photos obviously can't do it justice due to the technology of the time, but it's a shame we lost such an amazing piece of architecture.
Some other kingdoms in that part of Cameroon still have their old Palaces and/or new ones in the traditional styles (e.g. the Bafut and Bamileke peoples among others).
There's more to Africa than just the slave trade, it had heroes, artists, kings, and Emperors equal to that of any other place on Earth, and it's not right that all this history is overlooked or ignored.
@@FromNothing Maybe not in this instance but it can be when its referring to all black Africans because we existed all over the continent (and still do) + the Sahel Region is part of the Sahara while being peopled by mostly black people. It's not a term to be defending since it is commonly used to separate us from one of our oldest civilisations. Ju0rd meant no harm by it though quite clearly but it can still be a very nasty term that black people should drop when referring to ourselves since it has no basis in history due to the ancestors of the Ancient Egyptians even coming from the south.
Cool! It is interesting to see how German colonizers operated here compared to Namibia in the same period. The king probably heard of the atrocities and decided to spare his people the same fate. Fortunately a lot of knowledge has been retained about these beautiful structures and I would hope that at some point this will get a revival.
@@soda8736 Stop lying in Zimbabwe today it is taught that racists did not want us to claim our history and attributed it to aliens, Europe While at it when the Portuguese came to Zimbabwe a period of 100yers from the 1600s all kings where there to this day people in rural areas still built houses stones and bricks that resemble great Zimbabwe. Our culture has no concept of out of space beings only One God who created everything , angels, evil spririts and ancestors who communicate with God on our behalf that is it.
Because when they saw how the current people were living primitive it didn't make sense. Also the local people dont even claim those structures most of time. They often have superstitions about them. So its not crazy that somebody from another place with not a whole understanding of the entire Africa could think someone else built the structures..
I just found your channel and I'm so excited! I'm a travel blogger and I recently started to create travel videos. My favorite continent to travel to is Africa. I'm obsessed with African history and culture and I love that I can get travel ideas from your channel!
@@FromNothingI hope you get to go as well! You deserve it. This is such good work and well-needed since so many of us didn't learn about all of the incredible things from African history, but we should have. Thank you for creating these accurate and historical videos. I plan to binge-watch many of these in the next few weeks!
Please don’t forget that most if not all of the great pyramids of Egypt were built and constructed mainly by African/black folks. Ethiopia also had great structures way before any European or Muslim entered their mind or sight.
Stop trying to include Egypt in every conversation about African civilizations, other farucan kingdoms have the right to their own credit without having to speak about Egyptians
I had no idea that there were arguments about the structures of African buildings in African countries. Why do people argue about everything Black and African people do? Sometimes things are done. And sometimes Black and African people do those things. There's amazing stuff EVERYWHERE. So there's no need for people to be all like, "What?! Africans? building that?! No way! Never!" What's the big deal? Why do people want to discredit everything? A building is a building. Just because you think the building is cool doesn't mean you have to fight tooth and nail to prove that that building isn't African somehow. People are crazy! There are great buildings everywhere! Sometimes you wanna say, "Relax, Bro. there are buildings, and amazing cultural things everywhere. You don't have to slander Black people because you saw some buildings that you thought were cool. It doesn't make you any less white (or whatever other race you are) If you think, 'Hey, I think that African thing (building, food, song, clothes, etc) is cool! I like it.'" Why not see it, and just go about your day? It's not like you're gonna think that way about African stuff again. If you are racist, it's normally just a fluke that you happen to like that thing made by the people you hate/don't like. That's life. This video is crazy! I had no idea there were people discrediting building structures. What's left? 😟 They think we can't do anything! It's just a building! 😠 Why would they go a mile and a half for a building! This is nuts! There are many cultures that can make roofs, bricks, and carvings/designs. EVERYONE DOES THAT! YOU CAN'T GET THAT FROM SOMEWHERE BECAUSE EVERYONE DOES THAT! HOW CAN THEY ACCUSE US OF STEALING SOMETHING SO UNIVERSAL???!!!! 😡 What's next? Air?! "Hmm... I don't know. I think Africans stole breathing from White people! Uh, oh! How dare they?! Can't they think of anything original on their own? Why are they always stealing common life necessities? Darn those Africans!" Yeah, if you can't tell, I'm just done. Nothing against you, but this video really took me there. 🙁 But that's not your fault. I do realize that.
THANK YOU FOR SAYING "EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE" I HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR YEEEEEEEEEARS STOP CALLING IT MUD. It's not mud. mud is just dirt and water, earthern architecture are specific earth based elements mixed with water, it's not the same. It why people call American "mud" architecture "adobe" but African architecture of the same material is called mud.
African architecture is so beautiful and unique amongst the whole continent! I know people always look at Egyptian architecture as the epitome of african culture, but in my opinion, sub Saharan African architecture was always more impressive to me. Mainly because sub Saharan African architects didn't have the recourses like Egypt had, but they still made beautiful cities, like the one you showed us today. Eventually one day, we will see african architecture like this in video games, anime and other media. Thank you for another great video!
Thank you!!! And yes that is my end goal with this content and community. I want popular media and culture to develop genres and trends on the backbone of African history and culture represented with as much respect and dignity as European and Asian civilizations.
Love learning about the urban design in African antiquety. Growing up when all of this information was obscured by racist archeologists describing anything natively African as "native detritus", it's really refreshing to see what was really there.
Fascinating how old palace was this beautifull impresive structure with lot of craft and art put into it and new one looks like every other unkempt zámek but even lamer.
Really great information. It’s encouraging to learn that some colonialism wasn’t the worst of the worst and that some Europeans got along with Africans without brutally exploiting them. It doesn’t make colonialism overall any better but it provides welcome relief and stories of triumph instead of of the standard narrative that makes things look so completely one-sided.
Colonisation operates at a systemic level. Even in the most brutal colonies there were some Europeans who got along well with Africans. Especially the missionary societies who would even lobby against their own countrymen on the side of the natives. But at a systemic level every single colonial system in Africa had one purpose, to exploit the natives for the benefit of Europeans and this cannot be overstated. Those who mean well do not have to political influence of the social and economic elite.
@@user-vw6bk4pb4l that -- is brilliant analysis and absolutely right. The Cameroonians by cooperating with the German colonizers avoided the horrific brutality German colonizers inflicted in Benin and the rest of West Africa they colonized. Thanks for pointing that out. We must never lose sight of that. God bless you and yours.
that's crazy because my name is Adam Walker I also tried to do the black History stuff but it didn't work however my family has this thing called "the walker nose" whenever a child is born they look at the nose I think we are also originally from Kingston Jamaica, but it's so crazy also we live in the UK
@@FromNothingI would have expected stone paving, given the climate being prone to tropical downpours and localized flooding. Looking forward to more information about this.
Africa is so big, we in the US struggle to comprehend how culturally diverse that continent is. Maybe Europeans are better at this, since there are so many different countries close by. It would be strange if someone thought that all Europeans were like the Italians. Similarly, if we look at different areas in Africa we will find many cultures, languages, and traditions, not just one.
I do want to add that the german history in Kamerun is unfortunately very bloody. In the southern parts they had rubber plantations that easily rivaled Leopoldian Congo in cruelty
There is this book called "Stealing From The Saracens", i haven't read it yet, i've only watched youtube videos with the author, Diana Darke, some excerpts from the book and so.. These saracen people appear to be presented as (white!) arabs, in history books aswell as in the book's story/line. A book review from you in the near future, is possible?
The bamun kingdom got their own writing system they still use today back then before the last king only priest secret society know how king njoya where the first one who want everyone in his kingdom to write and read not just the elite that why some believe he invented the writing system fun facts the new king who visited the German museum this year seat on His great grandfather thrown after 115 years took by the German
W video as always. I find almost amazing how racists always use the same rhetoric when it comes to african architecture : - "Africans can't build this". When proven wrong - "They got foreign influence" When remembered every civilisation, especially eurasian ones, got foreign influences - "Well, it is not that impressive anyway" or "it was just instinct". I mean, why do these guys hate Africa so much ? It's not like acknowledging Africa's genius is gonna belittle Europe's. But for some reason, they seem to think it would.
Finally some true ancient african architecture.. but still, nothing as impressive as the great chinese wall, the aztec and mayan temples, and the buildings of the ancient roman empire
It's a historical video essay on the aspects of old african architecture... No one even needs to be having a dick length contest for "validity" sake lol.
12:40. Tokyo, or more specifically is skyscrapers IS a mimick. Sorry but it is. They should have at least tried to make their traditional designs more prominent
Nobody in their right mind would call Tokyo a copy of ... oh boy, a bit of Japanese history is necessary to unpack this complexity, don't underestimate the ability of westerner to find inferior anything not done like them OR done like them, it's a trap, let's say there is a reason in france the word japonism is almost a slurs
Africans tribes lived in caves until 1900s ( Nok caves) all peoples in different continents lived in caves. And all people at one point practiced canablism. Even Africans buddy.
Cool video, but I almost didn't watch it, due to the current title with its racist undertone. There's no need for click-baiting such good content bro. The title would be more inviting by simply stating "Incredible Traditional Sub-Saharan Architecture".
I never said they were a Japanese invention. You missed my entire point. I said that Tokyo is a Japanese city built from American influence. But it's not a "mimick."
None of these are even beautiful let alone anywhere near comparable to what Europeans built. Why do you do this to yourself man? Just let it go. It's fine to have no architecture or anything of significance.
@@AdamWood-dx7xm I'm not trolling or being sarcastic. It's time to let go of the copeium and just accept the reality as it is. I mean for crying out loud there are small towns in Albania, one of Europe's poorest and smallest countries that have more architectural, cultural and historical significance than anything built in pre colonial Sub-Saharan Africa put together. Just look at Gjirokastra and it's 12th century fortress and 16th century bazaar. Nothing in Sub-Saharan Africa comes close to a tiny town in Southern Albania. That's embarrassing.
@@AdamWood-dx7xm Because they haven’t contributed anything to ancient or modern civilization. 0 architecture, 0 important empires, 0 inventions, 0 impressive landmarks etc. Always been a net negative and burden on humanity. Their burden will only grow as their population keeps exploding. The future for planet earth is really bleak.
