The Goto-Goulfey Tower is located in Goulfey, a commune of Cameroon located in the Far North region in the department of Logone-et-Chari, near the border with Chad. According to legend, once the people saw the tower, it reminded them of Goto a special hairstyle of the region which gave its name to the monument. The Goto-Goulfey tower is a mound of earthen construction in a cubic shape of twelve meters high and nine meters in width. It is wider at its base and its shape narrows as one moves towards the top where there is a rectangular space of an area of 49.50m2. A large staircase leads to the top.
This tower was first built with clay and thereafter protected with vermiculite or Gley, a sort of slimy earth from the Chari River bed. These materials are specifically chosen to protect the monument from erosion. It is spread out over the entire building by the women. This process happens once the first layer of brown sandy silt is set. The Gley not only makes buildings more beautiful but also makes them more resistant to downpours as it is waterproof and facilitates water runoff during the rainy season.
This tower played an important religious role in the practice of the Varan cult which predominated before the advent of Islam in the city of Goulfey in the 15th century. The populations practiced the cult of the monitor lizard, supposed to protect the walled city.
This tower was built thanks to community service. Any person committing any misconduct would be summoned to participate in the construction. The Goto-Goulfey tower is part of the many monuments created as a strategic military defense aspiring to protect the city from foreign attacks. It is a genius human creation and a great testimony to ancient civilizations’ creativity in using their natural surroundings for protection. This special architecture has proven great merit in safeguarding the city of Goulfey.
