How did Islamic influence change house plans in the Hausa states?

With the spread of Islamic influence into the Hausa states by the 16th century, house plans underwent a significant transformation. Muslim builders introduced architectural traditions from North Africa and the Arab world, which shifted the local building style away from traditional cylindrical huts toward a rectilinear, square-plan design.1

These new dwellings were typically constructed from tabali—pear-shaped mud bricks—and were often flat-roofed and built to a height of two or more stories. This transition in house form reflected changing family sizes and social structures within the region. While rural Hausa compounds may still contain a mix of round and rectangular huts, the adoption of the square plan became a defining characteristic of the urban architecture in major centers such as Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zaria. Additionally, these houses often featured richly ornamented facades decorated with calligraphic or representational motifs.12