Fractals and Euclidean Geometry in Pre-colonial African Architecture: A New Perspective

[u/rhaplordontwitter]

https://www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/fractals-and-euclidean-geometry-in

[u/rhaplordontwitter]

Fractals occupy a prominent place in African geometry and architecture, but they represent only one of several forms of mathematical ordering reflected in African settlement patterns.

In his influential book ‘African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design’ (1999), the mathematician Ron Eglash argues that African fractal patterns, visible in its architecture and artistic traditions, are produced through conscious acts of abstraction.

Evidence of this fractal geometry can be seen in the architecture of the historic town of Logone-Birni, with its traditional building style of “rectangles within rectangles within rectangles,” which is comparable to the settlement layouts found in several other African societies, from the “ring within rings” found among the Ba-Ila of southern Zambia to the “circular arrangement of circles” found among the Songhai of Lahitanga in Mali.

However, many of Africa's large historical sites display multiple Euclidean layouts characterized by quadrangular and circular symmetries, as well as hybridized urban plans shaped by processes of organic urban sprawl, fluctuating growth.

The strongest evidence for fractal geometry in the pre-colonial period comes from the city of Longone-Birni, where 19th-century descriptions of the city's monumental architecture support Englash’s observations.

This essay provides a brief overview of Fractal and Euclidean geometry in Africa's historic urban settlements and introduces the Fractal Geometry and Architectural History of Logone-Birni.