Editing Abomey (section)

== History ==
[[File:Le Tour du monde-07-p088.jpg|thumb|250px|Gates of Abomey depicted in the [[Le Tour du Monde]] by Valentin Foulquier in 1863]]
Abomey was founded in the 17th century as the capital of the [[Kingdom of Dahomey]] (1600–1904), on the site of the former village of Kana.<ref name="Bradt"/> Traditional legends state that the town was founded by Do-Aklin, a son of the king of [[Allada]] who ventured north to found his own kingdom; the name is thought to come from Danhomé, also spelled Danxomé, meaning "belly of Dan", Dan being the original chief of the village.<ref name="Bradt"/>

Dahomey expanded rapidly in the 1700s, absorbing many of the surrounding kingdoms, and growing rich from the slave trade.<ref name="Bradt" /> In the late 18th century, Abomey was surrounded only by dry [[ditch]] which was crossed by bridges that were protected by a [[garrison]]. The royal palaces were fortified with a nearly square mudbrick wall that was 20 feet high. The flanks reached almost 1 mile as [[blockhouse]]s were built on each wall.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MdI8DYItvg8C&q=gbs_navlinks_s|last1=Thornton |first1=John Kelly|author-link=John Thornton (historian)|year=1999|title=Warfare in Atlantic Africa, 1500–1800|publisher=[[Psychology Press]]|page=87 |isbn=978-1857283921}}</ref>

After several attempts, the French conquered the kingdom on 16 November 1892, prompting King [[Béhanzin]] to torch the city and flee northward.<ref name="Bradt" /><ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Abomey|volume=1|page=67}}</ref> Thereafter the town declined in importance, a process hastened when the French built the new administrative centre of [[Bohicon]] immediately to the east.<ref name="Bradt" /> Today, the city is of less importance, but is still popular with tourists and as a centre for [[crafts]]. Since 1985, Abomey has maintained its [[Royal Palaces of Abomey|complex of royal palaces]] as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].