Risawe’s Palace, Ilesa Nigeria: Traditional Yoruba Architecture as Socio-Cultural and Religious Symbols

This paper is a situational report of the present position of Risawe’s Chieftaincy palace; one of the chiefs’ palaces in Ilesa town, Nigeria, an extant building of the 21st century. This paper identifies the paramount place of culture and traditions as the basis of Yoruba architectural plan, design and construction. It examines the importance and functions of the courtyardstyle of traditional Yoruba architecture in socio-cultural and religious context. The significance of the chieftaincy palaces in general is also discussed. The paper therefore, focuses on the ancient Yoruba architectural creativity and functionality. The effects of modernization are also mentioned. Data for the paper were collected through field work, oral interviews and published literature. The paper concludes that traditional architecture should be maintained, preserved and sustained as legacy for the generation to come