NOK AND MAPROUG CAVES AND GRANARIES

Without doubt the most beautiful site of the region. Only the Nok caves have been "fitted out" in order to allow their visit. They are also called the caves of Nano because they depend on the village. When you arrive in Nano, you have to contact the guide Mikabini Koulbème, who will give you a presentation of the place and will guide you towards the iron staircase on the edge of the cliff which leads to the caves. You will go inside the fault, sometimes at a height of one meter, between each attic, the whole facing a vertiginous panorama. These caves were used as a shelter and refuge for the native population during the various periods of insecurity that occurred in the region from the 17th to the 19th century. A lookout was located on the heights, in charge of warning the population. When a danger arose, he lit a fire to warn the villages. The women and children would then take refuge in the caves. The village could live in autarky for several weeks. Many granaries (134) can still be seen, as well as chicken coops that were compartmentalized to save space. They are cylindrical, oblong or semi-spherical in shape and open upwards. Carved in the traditional architectural style from local materials, these granaries contained the crops. A small spring ensured the water supply. The caves and granaries of Nok and Maproug are on the list of sites proposed to the Unesco World Heritage.