Inside Nigeria's Kano Emirate
Griots play music at the emir's palace during Ramadan in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano is part of the Sokoto Caliphate, one of the great Islamic empires that dotted the Sahel, profiting from caravan routes connecting Africa's interior with its Mediterranean coast. Nigeria's former colonial ruler Britain kept most of the northern hierarchy in place and the emirate continued to hold sway over the largely underdeveloped region after independence in 1960. Lamido Sanusi, Nigeria's ousted central bank governor, was named Emir of Kano in June, making an outspoken government critic one of the most influential leaders in the largely Muslim north. The throne, however, has few constitutional powers.
The Emirate of Kano
A griot plays a horned instrument at the emir's palace during Ramadan in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A wooden door with carvings is seen in the courtyard of the emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
People cheer as the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, passes in the courtyard of the emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, poses for a photograph at the palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A police officer talks on his phone outside the Emir of Zaria's palace in Zaria, Nigeria, July 17, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A servant, cast in yellow light, stands in the courtyard of the emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A tricycle driver rides past a graffiti at the entrance to the old city in Zaria, Nigeria, July 17, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A snake charmer releases a snake inside the Emir of Zaria's palace in Zaria, Nigeria, July 17, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
Palace official Malam Bogobiri sits on a rug inside the Emir of Zaria's palace in Zaria, Nigeria, July 17, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A servant poses for a photograph in the courtyard of the emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, receives visitors before saying a prayer for them at the Emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A crier in the royal court poses for a photograph in the courtyard of the emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
Men listen to religious figures reading the Koran during an evening Ramadan tafsir at the Emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, listens to religious figures reciting a Hadith chapter at the Emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
Visitors pray while greeting the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, at the emir's palace during Ramadan in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
Men sit after a Ramadan Tafsir session led by Sheik Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi (not pictured) at the Grand Mosque in Kaduna, Nigeria, July 15, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
Wall paintings in the Emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
Servants talk with each other in the courtyard of the emir's palace in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, rides a horse with his bodyguards by his side from the Grand Mosque to the emir's palace after Friday prayers during Ramadan in Kano, Nigeria, July 18, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
An official at Kaduna's Grand Mosque talks on his mobile phone in Kaduna, Nigeria, July 15, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
Women attend an Islamic school in Kaduna, Nigeria, July 16, 2014.
The Emirate of Kano
A volunteer poses for a photograph at the Grand Mosque after a daily Ramadan Tafsir session in Kaduna, Nigeria, July 15, 2014.