City (pop., 1991: 2,166,554), northern Nigeria.
Its traditional founder was Kano, a blacksmith of the Gaya people who in ancient times came to Dalla Hill in search of iron. It became the capital of the Hausa state of Kano in the early 12th century. It was the capital of an emirate in the 19th century before being captured by the British in 1903. Modern Kano is a major commercial and industrial centre. The old city is enclosed by a massive city wall dating from the 15th century; the central mosque there is Nigeria's largest.