What is the meaning of Alkebulan

Alkebulan is known to be the oldest name for the continent; ‘Africa’. From Arabic interpretation, it is known as the ‘Land of Blacks’ and also, in the ‘History of Afrika’ by Dr. Cheikh Anah Diop, he translated the meaning of ‘Alkebu-lan’ to mean ‘Mother of mankind’ or ‘Garden of Eden’.

The name is arguably the first name used by Africans for Africans before the coining of the name ‘Africa’ according to several schools of thought. It is the most indigenous name used by the first set of Indigenous blacks to represent who they are and where they come from before the Romans and ancient Greeks coined and gave the continent the new name ‘Africa’.

Although ‘Alkebulan’ isn’t the only name used by the indigenous people to refer to themselves, it was and is the most common.

Here Are 10 Other Things About Alkebulan now Referred To As Africa

1. Some Theories As To How The Name ‘Africa’ Came To Be

There are a couple of theories supporting different schools of thought as to how the name ‘Africa’ came to be. One suggests that the name came from two Phoenician words; ‘friqi’ and ‘pharika’ which respectively means; ‘corn’ and ‘fruits’. Phonecians initially called Africa the ‘Land of corn and fruits’.

Another theory from the Greeks says the name stems from the area’s climatic factor. People speculated and even believed that the Greeks derived the word from the Greek word; ‘Aphrika’ which referred to a land free from the cold weather. Africa is regarded as the hottest continent on earth.

Also, another theory linked to the Roman word; ‘Aprica’ which means ‘sunny’ is a theory considered to be the birth of the name ‘Africa’. The Romans also used the word ‘Africans’ in reference to the part of the Carthaginian Empire which is presently found in Tunisia.

There was the theory that the name was given by a famous traveller and invader of the 16th century named Leo Africanus (al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-wazan) who travelled around the continent and would give details of what he saw during his journies and invasions.

2. Other Names The Area Was Called Before The Renaming

Before settling for the name ‘Africa’, the continent was called many other names like Corphye, Ortegia, Libya, and Ethiopia.

There were other names which the continent was called such as; ‘Land of Ham’ meaning ‘Land of dark skins’ or dark/black continent. There were also names like; ‘Kingdom in the sky’ and ‘Land of Cush/Kesh’.

3. About The Area Now Called ‘Africa’

Alkebulan or now, Africa, encompasses a whole landmass of 30.37 km3 and a population of 1.216 billion people. It is currently the second biggest and second most populated continent right after Asia.

Alkebulan/Africa covers one-fifth of the total land surface of the Earth and it amazingly has its length and breadth to be the same.

4. Attempt To Destroy History Of The Continent

It has been speculated and even concluded by most schools of thought that changing the name from Alkebulan to Africa was an attempt by westerners to erase Black history and detach them from their culture and language.

5. Only A Segment Of The Continent Was Initially Referred To As Africa

The name ‘Africa’ which came to be in use from the 17th century was initially used to refer to the northern part of the area known to be the African continent.

6. Alkebulan Now ‘Africa’, Has Thousands Of Indigenous Languages

Alkebulan now known as Africa has about 2,000 different languages spoken in this area. Each of these languages also has different dialects peculiar to certain people and Arabic is considered one of its most spoken languages.

7. The Continent Is Divided By The Equator

The Equator goes around 2,500 miles from the west to the east of the African continent. On doing this, the equator divides the continent into two separate halves; The North and The South. Some of the countries the equator passes through are; Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, and Congo.

8. Alkebulan/Africa Is Considered To Be The Cradle Of Mankind

Alkebulan or now, ‘Africa’ is the world’s oldest populated area. It is considered the cradle of mankind because records of fossil remains in Africa prove that it is the first continent where humans were found. These fossils suggest that humans lived on the continent as far back as 7 million years ago.

SEE ALSO: 12 Famous African Gods and Goddesses With Unbelievable Capabilities

9. Invasion And Colonization Of Alkebulan

Almost all the area now known as Africa was colonized by foreign powers during the ‘Scramble/Partition For/Of Africa’. The African countries in modern-day Africa which weren’t colonized by westerners are Ethiopia and Libya.

10. Resolution Over The Name ‘Alkebulan’

Although there is still no agreed clear and direct explanation as to how the name ‘Africa’ became widely accepted to refer to the Continent populated by Black people, it is widely agreed that the 18th-century theory which stated that as Latin became more popular than other languages, ‘Afri’ which in Latin translates to mean people in Northern part of the continent was adopted and adding the suffix ‘ica’ which means ‘land’ to the word, the name ‘Africa’ was coined, adopted and inculcated to indicate the area occupied by Black people.

Tags: Africa The ContinentAlkebulan

• According to experts that research the history of the African continent, the original ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. This name translates to “mother of mankind,” or “the garden of Eden.”
• Alkebulan is an extremely old word, and its origins are indigenous. Many nations in Africa used this word, including the Ethiopians, Nubians, Moors, and Numidians.
• Many experts believe that the name actually came from two Phoenician words. These words were “friqi” and “pharika,” which would translate corn and fruit, respectively.

The continent of Africa is as mysterious as it is beautiful. The richness of the cultures of people living there is still not entirely understandable to people coming from other parts of the world. Still, Africa is the second-largest and most populated continent, right after Asia. A continent this big holds many secrets about its people and the origins of its culture.

Throughout history, many nations tried conquering and colonizing African countries. Many succeeded as well, and in time, many of our western influences left their mark on the continent. One of those is in the name of the continent itself. Africa is not the original name of the continent, and in this article, we will try to discover how the continent got the name we know today, and what the original name was.

Alkebulan

According to experts that research the history of the African continent, the original ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. This name translates to “mother of mankind,” or according to other sources, “the garden of Eden.” Alkebulan is an extremely old word, and its origins are indigenous. Many nations in Africa used this word, including the Ethiopians, Nubians, Moors, and Numidians.

The name Africa was given to this continent by the ancient Romans and Greeks. However, Alkebulan was not the only name used for the continent. There were many others used throughout history by the people living there, including Corphye, Ortigia, Libya, and Ethiopia. However, Alkebulan is the most common one.

Wine region near Stellenbosch looking at Simonsberg in South Africa

So how exactly did the continent get the name “Africa”? There are several theories that try to answer this question. The most commonly accepted theory states that the name came from Romans when they discovered land on the opposite side of the Mediterranean. They called this land after a Berber tribe that was living in the Carthage area at the time. According to many sources, the name of that tribe was Afri. Originally, the Romans supposedly called the continent Afri-terra, which was later transformed into Africa.

The Theories Behind The Name

Several other theories aim to discover how the continent of Africa got its name. Many experts believe that the name actually came from two Phoenician words. These words were “friqi” and “pharika,” which would translate corn and fruit, respectively.

According to this theory, the Phoenicians called Africa the land of corn and fruit, which actually makes sense. The Phoenicians inhabited cities along the coast of the Mediterranean, and it is quite possible that they managed to discover Africa.

Migration of elephants in the African savannah.

Other theories about the name of the continent also deal with its climate. Many people believe that the name Africa derived from the Greek word “aphrikē,” which denotes a land that is free from the cold weather. Another word that is often mentioned is the Roman word “aprica,” which translates into sunny.

Whatever that may be, it is not hard to imagine why the weather could play a major factor in the name chosen for this continent. Although generalizing the weather of an entire continent is not that easy, the people that ''found'' Africa have probably only seen a small part of it before giving it a name.