Abuja - the capital of Nigeria
Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, recently acquired the status of the main city of the state. In the near future, she will celebrate her 25th anniversary in this «positions». The first capital was Lagos, located 800 kilometers from the new center, chosen by the President of the country.
At the same time, the head of state argued that his choice fell on Abuja, for the reasons that the city remains ethnically neutral. In the current environment, it is very important that no ethnic or religious group dominates.
An excursion into history
The year of foundation of Abuja is known - 1828, as well as the name of the founder - Abu Jha. It was this that became the name of the settlement, which at first looked like a fortified military camp. And only later it began to grow rapidly, turning into a major economic and cultural center..
Since the city was built quite recently, it has the correct layout, many beautiful architectural structures that will eventually turn into cultural monuments.
Mosque and church
An attempt by the Abuja authorities to maintain neutrality led to the fact that the city has: both the National Mosque and the National Church.
The construction of the mosque was completed in 1984; this religious building can be recognized from afar by its interesting architecture and many believers rushing to prayer. Representatives of other faiths and even atheists can see its exquisite interior decor. In addition to the mosque itself, there is a museum, though small, but displaying a collection of local ceramics and stone engravings. True, women are not allowed inside the mosque.
In 2005, the National Church appeared in the capital of the state, since a fairly large number of Christian believers live in the country. Not only the building of the church attracts attention, but also the bell tower, equipped with five bells. The pride of the temple is the exquisite stained glass windows, organ and place for the choir.
Natural monuments of the capital
One of them is Zuma Rock. It is a granite monolith, over a thousand meters high and over seven hundred meters long. It has a name «Gateway to Abuja» m is depicted on the local banknote. Nigerians consider it sacred because they see a human face in the center of the monolith..
Enterprising locals have already made Zuma Rock a popular tourist destination, one of the main natural attractions. Therefore, they organized a hotel, restaurants here, conduct excursions in the vicinity of this mysterious natural site..
