Abomey
Abomey
Agbomɛ (Fon) | |
|---|---|
A street in Abomey in 2017 | |
Abomey Location in Benin | |
| Coordinates: 7°11′8″N 1°59′17″E / 7.18556°N 1.98806°E | |
| Country | Benin |
| Department | Zou Department |
| Area | |
• Total | 142 km2 (55 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 221 m (725 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
• Total | 90,195 |
| • Density | 635/km2 (1,650/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Abomey, or Agbome, [a.bɔ.mɛ] is the capital of the Zou Department of Benin. The commune of Abomey covers an area of 142 square kilometres and, as of 2025, it has a population of 96,974 people.[1]
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.[2]
History
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.[2] 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.[2]
Dahomey expanded rapidly in the 1700s, absorbing many of the surrounding kingdoms, and growing rich from the slave trade.[2] 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.[3] By the 1840s it had an estimated population of 24,000.[4]
After several attempts, the French conquered the kingdom on 16 November 1892, prompting King Béhanzin to torch the city and flee northward.[2][5] Thereafter the town declined in importance, a process hastened when the French built the new administrative centre of Bohicon immediately to the east.[2] 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
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.[2]
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.[2] 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
As reported by UNESCO, on 21 January 2009 the Royal Palaces of Abomey suffered from a fire "which destroyed several buildings."[6] The fire was the most recent disaster to have plagued the site, coming after a powerful tornado damaged the site in 1984.[7]
Demographics
| Year | Population[8] |
|---|---|
| 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.
See also
References
- ^ "Abomey - Population Trends and Demographics - CityFacts". www.city-facts.com. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Butler, Stuart (2019) Bradt Travel Guide - Benin, pgs. 135-45
- ^ Thornton, John Kelly (1999). Warfare in Atlantic Africa, 1500–1800. Psychology Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-1857283921.
- ^ The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge (First ed.). London: Charles Knight. 1848. p. 209, Vol V.
- ^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Abomey". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 67.
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage news, 13 February 2009
- ^ "State of Conservation: Royal Palaces of Abomey (Benin)". UNESCO. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Abomey". World Gazetteer. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
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