Former imperial seat
Kukawa was the capital of the Bornu Empire during much of the nineteenth century. That period gave the small town a prominent place in the history of the region.
Minimalist map poster · Nigeria
12.9247° N / 13.5662° E
A Sahelian town near the shores of Lake Chad, once the capital of the Bornu Empire, set in open, flat country.

One city, five moods
Tap a style to see it on the wall. Every style costs the same — printed, framed or as HD files.
Actual pixels · 24 × 36″ print filePrint-sharp
This is a 100% crop of the real print file. Every poster — printed, framed or downloaded — is rendered on our servers at 300 DPI, up to 7,200 × 10,800 pixels, so even the smallest lanes stay crisp on a 24 × 36″ print.
On the wall



The map
Kukawa is a town in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, in the flat Sahelian country west of Lake Chad. In the nineteenth century it served as the capital of the Bornu Empire. It was established as a royal seat in the early 1800s under the al-Kanemi dynasty, and European travellers crossing the Sahara described it as a major centre of trade and learning.
On a map, the town appears as a compact settlement on a broad plain with little relief to interrupt it. Tracks and roads lead out across the open land towards other towns and the shrinking basin of the lake. Because the terrain is so level, the lines of the roads and the edges of the built-up area carry the whole composition.
A Kukawa map poster presents a historically significant place in its present form, with a small street pattern set within a very large and open landscape. The empty space around the town is part of the picture. It suggests the distances that once made Kukawa a meeting point for caravans crossing the Sahel.
Kukawa was the capital of the Bornu Empire during much of the nineteenth century. That period gave the small town a prominent place in the history of the region.
The town lies in the lowland basin west of Lake Chad. Roads and tracks lead east across flat ground towards the lake's former and present shores.
There are no hills to shape the settlement, so the roads run straight and far. On the map the town sits as a clear cluster in a wide field of space.
Make it yours
Add a date, a name or a line of your own, switch style, size or orientation.
The free preview is low-resolution with a watermark. Prints and HD files are rendered at 300 DPI, up to 7,200 × 10,800 px, without a watermark.
Why Kukawa
For people with roots in Borno, or with an interest in the history of the Sahel, Kukawa carries weight well beyond its size. A spare line drawing of the town connects a family story, or a period of study, to a real place on the ground.
Personalise the title, subtitle and coordinates line to make the print your own. Then pick from Classic black & white, Noir, Paper, Blueprint or Sand. The HD files cost $9, and a printed matte poster can be shipped from a partner near you.
Order the Kukawa poster| Print size | Resolution | Files |
|---|---|---|
| 30 × 40 cm11.8 × 15.7″ | 3,543 × 4,724 px | PNG · PDF |
| 29.7 × 42 cm (A3)11.7 × 16.5″ | 3,508 × 4,961 px | PNG · PDF |
| 42 × 59.4 cm (A2)16.5 × 23.4″ | 4,961 × 7,016 px | PNG · PDF |
| 45.7 × 61 cm18 × 24″ | 5,400 × 7,200 px | PNG · PDF |
| 50 × 70 cm19.7 × 27.6″ | 5,906 × 8,268 px | PNG · PDF |
| 61 × 91.4 cm24 × 36″ | 7,200 × 10,800 px | PNG · PDF |
For comparison, the free preview is 900 px wide, watermarked and meant for screens. The HD files have up to 8× the resolution in each direction and print cleanly at full poster size.
Pick a style at the top of the page, then choose Printed Poster — a size and, if you like, a frame — or Digital HD Files. Checkout takes one step, and your order page updates as soon as the payment goes through.
It is printed on premium 200 gsm matte paper in one of six sizes, from 30 × 40 cm to 24 × 36″. Printed posters start at $39, shipping included.
Yes. Choose a solid wood frame in black, white, natural oak or dark wood. It comes with shatterproof glazing and is ready to hang. Framed posters start at $99, shipping included.
Shipping is free to 60+ countries. Each poster is printed by the nearest of our print partners in 30+ countries and usually arrives in 3–7 business days. You can follow the status and tracking under My Orders. A few countries take 2–5 weeks, and where we don't ship yet, the site tells you before you pay.
Send us a photo within 14 days of delivery and we will reprint it for free or refund you.
Yes. In the editor on this page, change the title, the subtitle and the coordinates line to anything you like, and pick a style and size. Printed, framed and digital orders all use exactly your design.
For $9 you get 300 DPI PNG and print-ready PDF files in all six sizes, without a watermark, to print anywhere. Not sure yet? Download a free watermarked preview first.
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