NEIGH­­BOUR­HOODS

The related peoples of the Toposa and Nyangatom, who live in the border regions of South Sudan and Ethiopia, share a canon of basic forms and functions in the design of their buildings, which they modify regionally. The spectrum ranges from residential buildings and food stores to stables and fences to protect the settlements. In some villages, there are particularly precise and finely designed buildings that can be regarded as a reference for the respective form. In other places, the basic patterns are interpreted, adapted and further developed in a more varied and freer way, for example among the Murle. Some of their villages are located in the neighbourhood of the Nyangatom, and they have adapted their construction methods accordingly. However, even from a distance it is possible to recognise which people the inhabitants belong to, as the tops of the roofs of the Turkana, the Nyangatom and the Murle differ. This can serve as an indicator for members of the other peoples to keep their distance.