For a long time, the monarchy in Rwanda was nomadic, moving, together with its court, from one part of the country to another. When he finally settled in one place, Nyanza was the obvious choice. The capital of the kingdom had around 2,000 inhabitants and huts built with the same methods that we can see today in the King’s Palace Village, a place to discover the ancient Rwandan culture and its traditions, including a curious one, which consists of singing to the cows.
It is a kind of living, open-air museum, which includes a reconstruction of the traditional Rwandan royal residence in Nyanza — the ancient heart of the country and the scene, according to oral tradition, of many battles and struggles for power.
A guide takes us around the grounds and First, it presents us with the King’s Palace, a thatched dwelling, built in the shape of a beehive. The interior is very beautiful and has a soft light. Some objects in the room show the best of local crafts and at the back there is a patio where some animals live, namely long-horned cattle, of the Inyambo.
Descendants of the king’s herd, these animals are treated as a treasure because they have always played an important role in parades honoring royalty.
Rwanda ceased to be a monarchy in 1962, the year it gained independence from colonial rule, but the creation and preparation of Inyambo is still carried out under the responsibility of the Rwanda Agriculture Council.
In the past, during official ceremonies, impeccably clean cows were decorated with jewelry and trained to move according to the movements of the trainers during the different parades. In Vila do Palácio do Rei, it is still possible to watch this process that keeps a unique tradition alive, the most curious aspect of which is reflected in the beautiful songs that the keepers sing to the animals.
Other cultural manifestations, such as dances and preparation of ingredients used in traditional cuisine, are also presented to visitors.
The nearby Huye Ethnographic Museum, which houses one of the best ethnographic collections in Africa, makes a good combination with the visit to the King’s Palace Villa, perfectly complementing this beautiful cultural experience.
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