African Gathering

Colour, silent film recording people, costumes, rites and festivities seen at a Durbar, which celebrates the culmination of Muslim festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Colour, silent film recording people, costumes, rites and festivities seen at a Durbar, which celebrates the culmination of Muslim festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The Durbar festival was introduced to Nigeria by British colonial administrators. The word Durbar is of Persian origin and it was first connected with ceremonial assemblies marking the proclamation of Queen Victoria as the Empress of colonial India in 1877. Later, in Nigeria, the events became purely ceremonial. The Durbar first was held in 1911, subsequent ceremonies were held in 1924, 1925, 1948, 1960 and 1972. The ceremonies linked together pre-colonial aspects of martial display, colonist created assemblies and celebrations of important events linked to Muslim festivals.