Sarkin Musulmi alhaji Sir Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, on his way to Friday Masallacin Bello mosque, Sokoto, Nigeria

Object Details

Topic: Leaders; Cultural landscapes; Clothing and dress -- Africa; Headdresses -- headgear -- Africa

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Nigeria

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "In the new Caliphate, the sultan of Sokoto was given the title of Sarkin Musulmi, leaders of all Muslims, and it was Allah who was the source of all state authority. By the early nineteenth century, in northern Nigeria turbans and embroidered tailored robes (called riga in Hausa) were being worn regularly by an Islamic aristocracy which owed political allegiance to the powerful Sokoto Caliphate. The wearing of turbans among the aristocracy, court officials, and retainers associated a man with Islam and, when worn with the riga giwa (a Hausa term meaning 'elephant robe'), marked him as a member of the administration division of the Caliphate." [Arnoldi M., 1995: Wrapping the Head, Crowning Achievements, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.