Abomey
Template:Distinguish Template:Infobox settlement Agbome or Abomey Template:IPA is the capital of the Zou Department of Benin. The commune of Abomey covers an area of 142 square kilometres and, as of 2012, had a population of 90,195 people.<ref name="Atlasbenin">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Abomey houses the Royal Palaces of Abomey, a collection of small traditional houses that were inhabited by the Kings of Dahomey from 1600 to 1900, and which were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.<ref name="Bradt">Butler, Stuart (2019) Bradt Travel Guide - Benin, pgs. 135-45</ref>
History
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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 blockhouses were built on each wall.<ref>Template:Cite book</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">Template:EB1911</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 complex of royal palaces as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Royal Palaces of Abomey
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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 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 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
[edit]As reported by UNESCO, on 21 January 2009 the Royal Palaces of Abomey suffered from a fire "which destroyed several buildings."<ref>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>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
[edit]| Year | Population<ref name="World Gazetteer">Template:Cite web</ref> |
|---|---|
| 1860s | 24 000 |
| 1979 | 38 412 |
| 1992 | 65 725 |
| 2002 | 77 997 |
| 2008 (estimate) | 87 344 |
| 2012 | 90 195 |
Gallery
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"Important witchdoctors" (1908)
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Dance of the Fon chiefs 1908
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Young girl with wooden statue of mystic chair (1908)
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Town Hall, located in the former Governor's Palace
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One of the royal palaces.
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Wikivoyage Template:Commons category Template:Collier's poster
- UNESCO assessment of threats to the site, after tornado damage in 1984.
- Historical Museum of Abomey Template:Webarchive