Mud Palace
Rey Bouba is considered the most important and prominent 'Lamidat' (sultanate) of Cameroon. It has been around since 1804 and nowhere in Cameroon does the sultan have more power over a larger area than here. The palace is surrounded by a four meter high mud wall with guards and Westerners are rarely let in. The streetscape and the atmosphere more than compensate for that. You imagine yourself in 'Ray' in the pre colonial era of old Peul cities, built from loam in the renowned Sudanese architectural style as also in Mali and Niger. The streetscape is dominated by men in white or brightly coloured 'boubous' (Muslim robes) and women in colourful African canvases. On Thursday, local musicians will give an open-air concert in the square in front of the palace at sunset.