Kafin Lema Shari'a Court (Nigeria Zaria Friday Mosque)

 Friday Mosque, Zaria, Nigeria

View along the west façade with Zaria palace in distance. 

The final component of the Masallaci Juma'a, which is now destroyed, is the Shari'a court, or Kafin Lema Shari'a court.
The building, in the northeast corner of the mosque complex, created a conduit between the mosque and the neighboring palace through a u-shaped corridor.
From the court, the Emir could proceed into the mosque.

This building, which was almost seven meters tall is often interpreted as a minaret tower, like the Hausa hasumiya.
Upon the Fulani invasion, the new dynasty destroyed most hasumiya, excepting the ones at Katsina and Kano.
It is, however, almost certain that this building was not intended as a minaret.

  Tapered pier with deeply incised verticals, triangles and circles.

The interior of the court was a singular wide bay created by six bakan gizos, springing from rectangular piers to the cross arches of the dome.
Its single dome was centered around a very elaborate circular boss which radiated downward in a few stepped circles which were then linked by decorative triangles on the ribs of the vault, creating a star like pattern.
This high court building was lit by a few narrow windows at its upper reaches.
The entrance chamber of Shari'a court was in the style of the Fulbe zaure, and framed similarly to the other circular entrance chambers.

  Embedded pier patterned by angled azara branches.

It is surmised that the Emir's throne sat on the east side of the courtroom near the chief judge's seat, behind which was a massive partition grille separating the space for the women.
Along the opposite wall sat the court scribes, and at the south-west corner of the court was a screened passage through which the for the witnesses entered.
The accused stood in the northwest corner, far from any of the three doors in the south, southwest and northeast.
It is uncertain whether the Shari'a court was built at the same time as the mosque by Gwani Mikhaila, or if it was perhaps constructed by the master builder's sons.

FRIDAY MOSQUE

NİJERYA'DAKİ DİĞER CAMİLER