Salvador da Bahia: The Brazilian city that influenced the architecture of Lagos Island.
- Gberikon Lubem
- Apr 2, 2017
- 2 min read
Brazil and Nigeria are two countries with shared history , similarities and hundreds of years of mutual diplomatic relations. Centuries before imperialistic Europe made the in-roads into the two hitherto uncharted parts of the world, the geographical spaces that became Nigeria and Brazil were both dotted with clusters of independent kingdoms, tribes and clans.
Interestingly, they were both first discovered by the same Portuguese explorers who gave their former capital cities Salvador da Bahia and Lagos their names.
Salvador da Bahia, Brazil’s first capital city located in the Northeastern part of Brazil was founded in 1527. During the boom of the cross-atlantic slavery trade, it was not surprising that it became the home of a larger percentage of the more than 5 million slaves estimated to have been sold outside Africa and of this lot, Nigeria – the Yorubas were the largest group.
In the over 300 years of servitude, the Yorubas stamped their religion which is now known as Candomble, their foods ”Akara” now known as “acaraje” and their mode of dressing on Bahia and the Brazilian culture. Some in turn adopted the Catholic faith, answer Catholic names, learned crafts, building techniques, trades and got European education.
After the abolition of slave trade in the 19th century, descendants of erstwhile Yoruba slaves from different parts of the Oyo Empire chose to return and stay in Lagos which was then rapidly growing into a sprawling commercial city. They were skilled men-architects, lawyers, Engineer, and exposed men. They dotted the landscape of Idumota, Obalende, Pelewura, all on the Lagos Island with beautiful 2 Storeyed Bahian-Styled buildings all over the place. The landscaping and planning was also influenced by their sojourn in the city of Bahia.
Unfortunately, many of these historical buildings had been fallen for various developmental purposes, vestiges of their glorious pasts are still held in the Brazilian quarters, water house, the Catholic Mission street etc. all on the Lagos Island.
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