{{Short description|African architecture}} [[File:The Hut (5065803296).jpg|thumb|right|A traditional African hut in Ethiopia]] The '''[[Africa]]n round [[hut]]''' known in literature as ''cone on cylinder'' or ''cone on drum'' [[hut]]. The hut has different names in various [[African languages]]. It is constructed usually with a conical foundation and peaked [[Thatching|thatched roof]]. It is most commonly made out of mud and its roof is often made with grass and with local materials. It has been constructed for thousands of years. The thatched-roofed, plastered type mud houses construction was found early in [[East Africa]], where various local indigenous tribes built them, using them as homestead alongside lifestyle with agriculture and farming. The mud hut is extremely common throughout rural parts of the African continent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.designcauseinc.org/single-post/2016/05/31/Construction-and-Cultural-Significance-of-Mud-Huts-1|title=Construction and Cultural Significance of Mud Huts|website=designcauseinc.org|access-date=2020-01-14|archive-date=2022-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127190917/https://www.designcauseinc.org/single-post/2016/05/31/construction-and-cultural-significance-of-mud-huts-1|url-status=dead}}</ref> They can be different in shape and size depending on the region in which they are built. <ref>{{Cite web|last=Steyn|first=Gerald|date=2006|title=The indigenous rondavel – a case for conservation|url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/10792/Styen_Indigenous(2006).pdf|website=ac.za}}</ref>
==Architecture== [[File:Manifestos do Cape Town (38).JPG|thumb|right|Inside a hut looking towards the ceiling]] An African round hut is a seen as [[vernacular architecture]] since they are built of readily available materials. The huts can be built using mud, cow manure, bricks or grass in some cases. A new mud hut will last 1-2 years, depending on the amount of rain and erosion. The huts were built so they could be loosely clustered around open spaces, which provided ventilation and breezes, in order to provide comfort in the warm conditions of the [[tropics]].
==Names and types==
[[File:Lesotho Slide Show (294).JPG|thumb|250px|An undecorated rondavel]] Depending on location the name of the African round hut can vary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/celebration-african-vernacular-architecture|title=In celebration of the African vernacular architecture|website=Design Indaba}}</ref> Here is a list of what the huts are called in various African countries:
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Regions of Africa |- ! Country ! Local name |- | [[Angola]] | Mbukushu |- | [[Botswana]] | Dumela |- | [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]] | Cob/Adobe |- | [[Eritrea]] | [[Tukul]]/Agudo |- | [[Ethiopia]] | Godjo |- | [[Kenya]] | Itambi |- | [[Namibia]] | [[Kraal]]s |- | [[Lesotho]] | Mokhoro |- | [[South Africa]] | [[Rondavel]] |- || [[South Sudan]] | [[Hotnhial]] |- |[[Ghana]] |[[Atta-Kwame mud house|Atta Kwame]] |}
== References == <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
[[Category:Huts]] [[Category:Architecture in Africa]] [[Category:Vernacular architecture]]