WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba - Togo

The Koutammakou landscape in north-eastern Togo, which extends into neighbouring Benin, is home to the Batammariba whose remarkable mud tower-houses (Takienta) have come to be seen as a symbol of Togo. In this landscape, nature is strongly associated with the rituals and beliefs of society. The 50,000-ha cultural landscape is remarkable due to the architecture of its tower-houses which are a refl ection of social structure; its farmland and forest; and the associations between people and landscape. Many of the buildings are two storeys high and those with granaries feature an almost spherical form above a cylindrical base. Some of the buildings have fl at roofs, others have conical thatched roofs. They are grouped in villages, which also include ceremonial spaces, springs, rocks and sites reserved for initiation ceremonies. Koutammakou is an outstanding example of territorial occupation by a people in constant search of harmony between man and the surrounding nature. However, the Koutammakou cultural landscape possesses

a particular characteristic. Indeed, the “takienta”, a basic family dwelling where technical, utilitarian and symbolic elements are combined, is unique. Although many dwellings of the region possess fairly strong symbolic dimensions, none possess such a close interrelationship between symbolism, function and technique. This particular type of dwelling, which owes its aesthetic aspect to the spectacular shapes, is the result of the creative genius of the Batammariba : « those who model the earth » or, by extension, « the good masons » according to the translation of some anthropologists. The Koutammakou, as an evolving living landscape, exhibits all the facets of an agricultural society working in harmony with the landscape and where nature underpins beliefs, rituals and everyday life. It comprises tangible elements such as sacred rocks, forests, houses, fi elds, sources of construction materials, wild and domesticated animals, as well as intangible elements including beliefs, craft techniques, songs, dances, traditional sports, etc. The Koutammakou landscape is an authentic refl ection of a particular life style. No elements in the landscape are of any great age; rather, the overall landscape refl ects the processes and practices that prevail over many centuries. In order to conserve its authenticity, these traditional practices must be maintained.

Education, centralization of administrative power, religions, tourism, monetary system and the appearance of new needs have all exercised their infl uence. Despite these aggressions that tend to unsettle the Tammari society, very strong and motivated centres exist in all the villages that constitute this melting-pot where the essential elements of the Tammari culture mix and persist throughout time and space. Therefore, despite the threat of globalization, expressions of culture and identity persist. Thus, and in spite of the development of small urban centres, (almost all at Nodoba), it is always the original landscape that can be observed today, with villages in which the houses are each located in the middle of their cultivated plots, spaced out and independent. The natural space is also very present, even though it would be desirable that some of its elements be reconstituted – it should be noted that this mainly concerns the « neutral » natural areas. Indeed, the authenticity of all the sacred areas remains intact.

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1140/ Image credit: © CRA-terre Author: Thierry Joff roy