Editing Abomey (section)

== The Royal Palaces of Abomey ==
{{Main|Royal Palaces of Abomey}}
[[File:Abomey-Königspalast3.jpg|thumb|Royal Palaces of Abomey]]
[[File:Royal Palaces of Abomey-133495.jpg|thumb|Exhibition, Royal Palaces of Abomey]]
The Royal Palaces of Abomey are a group of earthen structures built by the [[Fon people]] between the mid-17th and late 19th Centuries. One of the most famous and historically significant traditional sites in West Africa, the palaces form a UNESCO [[World Heritage Sites]].<ref name="Bradt"/>

During the reign of [[Béhanzin]], the palaces covered some 44ha and it was surrounded by a 10 meter high wall reaching 4&nbsp;km in length. Only 2 of the original 12 palace survived the 1892 burning by Béhanzin, Dahomey's last king.<ref name="Bradt"/> The [[French West Africa|French colonial administration]] rebuilt the town and connected it with the coast by a railroad.

When UNESCO designated the royal palaces of Abomey as a World Heritage Site in 1985 it stated:
:From 1625 to 1900 twelve kings succeeded one another at the head of the powerful Kingdom of Abomey. With the exception of King Akaba, who used a separate enclosure, they each had their palaces built within the same cob-wall area, in keeping with previous palaces as regards the use of space and materials. The royal palaces of Abomey are a unique reminder of this vanished kingdom.

From 1993, 50 of the 56 bas-reliefs that formerly decorated the walls of King [[Glèlè]] (now termed the "[[Salle des Bijoux]]") have been located and replaced on the rebuilt structure. The bas-reliefs carry an iconographic program expressing the history and power of the Fon people.

===Threats===
As reported by UNESCO, on 21 January 2009 the Royal Palaces of Abomey suffered from a fire "which destroyed several buildings."<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/488 UNESCO World Heritage news], 13 February 2009</ref> The fire was the most recent disaster to have plagued the site, coming after a powerful tornado damaged the site in 1984.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/soc/1532 |title=State of Conservation: Royal Palaces of Abomey (Benin) |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=27 July 2015}}</ref>