Foumban
Encyclopedia
Foumban or Fumban is a city in Cameroon
, lying north east of Bafoussam
. It has a population of 83,522 (at the 2005 Census). It is a major town for the Bamoun people and is home to a museum
of traditional arts and culture
. There is also a market
and a craft centre, while Foumban Royal Palace contains a museum with information on Ibrahim Njoya
who invented a new religion and the Shumom alphabet.
Foumban
Though touristy, Foumban is one of Cameroon's major attractions and an important centre of traditional African art. Its jewel is the Palais Royal, seat of power for the Bamoun people. The ruler of the Bamoun is known as the sultan, and the Bamoun can trace the lineage of their sultan back to 1394.
The palace, completed in 1917, resembles a medieval chateau. It houses the Sultan's Museum, which contains a multitude of royal gowns, arms, musical instruments, statues, jewellery, masks and colourful bead-covered thrones carved in the shapes of the men who sat on them.
A few hundred metres south of the palace is the Musée des Arts et des Traditions Bamoun. This extensive collection has exhibits on Bamoun history and art, including cooking implements, musical instruments, pipes, statues, masks, gongs and an ornately carved xylophone. The road that connects the two museums is the Rue des Artisans, home to sculptors, basket makers, weavers and embroiderers, and one of the best places in Central Africa to buy wood carvings.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, lying north east of Bafoussam
Bafoussam
Bafoussam is the capital of the West Province of Cameroon, in the Bamboutos Mountains. It is the prefecture of the Mifi department, one of three arrondissements in the department. The city had a population of 239,287 inhabitants . The city is the region's center of trade. People are farming...
. It has a population of 83,522 (at the 2005 Census). It is a major town for the Bamoun people and is home to a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of traditional arts and culture
Culture of Cameroon
-Holidays:Notable holidays in Cameroon include:Christian: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter MondayMuslim: 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-AdhaMain holidaysDateEnglish NameJanuary 1New Year's DayFebruary 11National Youth DayMay 1Labor Day...
. There is also a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
and a craft centre, while Foumban Royal Palace contains a museum with information on Ibrahim Njoya
Ibrahim Njoya
King Ibrahim Njoya , distinguished ruler, intellectual, and inventor, was 17th in a long dynasty of kings that ruled over Bamum and its people in western Cameroon dating back to the 14th century. He succeeded his father Nsangu and ruled from 1886/7 until his death in 1933...
who invented a new religion and the Shumom alphabet.
Though touristy, Foumban is one of Cameroon's major attractions and an important centre of traditional African art. Its jewel is the Palais Royal, seat of power for the Bamoun people. The ruler of the Bamoun is known as the sultan, and the Bamoun can trace the lineage of their sultan back to 1394.
The palace, completed in 1917, resembles a medieval chateau. It houses the Sultan's Museum, which contains a multitude of royal gowns, arms, musical instruments, statues, jewellery, masks and colourful bead-covered thrones carved in the shapes of the men who sat on them.
A few hundred metres south of the palace is the Musée des Arts et des Traditions Bamoun. This extensive collection has exhibits on Bamoun history and art, including cooking implements, musical instruments, pipes, statues, masks, gongs and an ornately carved xylophone. The road that connects the two museums is the Rue des Artisans, home to sculptors, basket makers, weavers and embroiderers, and one of the best places in Central Africa to buy wood carvings.