Culture of Africa
The concept of an African culture is not sustainable in the strict sense, since the continent culturally can be divided at least into the various regions of North Africa and the transsaharische sub-Saharan Africa. The North African countries Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and understand culturally rather than part of the Arab world. Where In addition, countries such as Mauritania, Sudan, Madagascar, Eritrea and Ethiopia are culturally, in such a division, however, remains open.
The painting of Ethiopia has a long tradition and is closely linked to the turbulent history of the country. The atypical for sub-Saharan Africa painting and the making of fine arts and crafts work has its roots in ancient North African- Near Eastern culture. They held each other, embedded in the unbroken Christian tradition of the country until today. Looking at the two and a half millennia old high cultural history Ethiopia can be described as the only one still alive and visible " foothills " of the ancient Mediterranean civilization in Africa.
For the black part of the African continent, the concept of a pan-African culture in particular was seriously discussed in the 60s and 70s of the 20th century, after the various African countries had gained their independence. Especially in the context of the concept of negritude pan-African culture was very popular. With the political decline of the Pan-African vision and the bloody ethnic clashes of the 80s and 90s this idea but lost its persuasive power.
The vast majority of black Africans speak a language from the language family of the Congo Kordofanischen ( Also called " Niger - Congo " ) languages , all of which have a common origin. This could be the actual basis of a common " Africanness ". Especially the very large distribution area of closely related Bantu languages , which includes almost the entire southern half of Africa, in addition to the common language shows other cultural similarities that could go back to a " Ur - Bantu culture", as well as a now almost generally accepted Urbantu language.