Surame ancient kingdom existed around the 15th and 16th centuries. It is a very unique site with a surface of about 9 kilometres, in which one third of the relics has some traces of human settlement in the form of Hausa foundations, remains of compound enclosures, wall rubbles, wells, potsherds. Other features of the site are the walls, Grates, Baobab tree, trench and ditches.
The walls partly standing still have relics of the fallen ones intact. The walls were made from millet stalks and are generally rectangular in shape. For the gates, they are of two types namely the small and great ones, which are seven in number each.
The defensive walling and the gates are made of rocks. Within the site, there is baobab tree (Kuka) which oral tradition has it that the nagging wife of kanta was thrown into its trunk in a feat of anger. While, the trench (Siradi) is the place where trial was being made to any offender in the Kingdom. If one falls inside the Siradi (trench) he is going into Wuta (hell) and anyone who escapes the Siradi is going to Aijanna (paradise).
Around the kingdom, ditches were dug throughout the circumference of the great walls and thorns were planted that made it difficult for invading army to gain entrance into the kingdom.
History of Surame Cultural Landscape
Surame is an ancient city created in the 16th Century by its first king Muhammadu Kanta Sarkin Kebbi and was later abandoned in the 1700 when the empire’s capital was moved to Birnin Kebbi.
Security/Safety of Surame Cultural Landscape
This is a very safe location.
What To Bring
- Camera to capture the sights and take selfies with
- Sun shades and a hat
- A bottle of water
Best Features
There were 14 gates to Surame City. These gates were categorized as seven great gates and seven smaller gates. The great gates connected the city with the outside world, while the seven smaller gates connected different sections of the city. Six hundred years after it was destroyed some of the gates are still standing at the site. One of the standing gates is referred to as Dashe Tree Gate. The stone arrangement of the city gates, security posts, the narrow paths leading into the city through the gates, the two concentric stone walls, rectangular palace walls and the enclosures built to fortify it against external attacks, are some of the awesome features that still exist at the site till today.