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Abomey Royal Palaces: UNESCO Dahomey Kingdom Heritage

The Royal Palaces of Abomey — a UNESCO World Heritage Site 150 km north of Cotonou — contain the most important collection of African royal art south of Egypt, built by the warrior kings of Dahomey

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1
Dahomey Kingdom History
The Dahomey Empire (1600-1894) was one of the most powerful in West Africa — its warrior kings built huge armies including the famous Agojie female warriors and traded slaves for firearms
2
King Glele's palace bas-reliefs
The extraordinary appliqué hangings and clay bas-reliefs on the palace walls depict each king's symbols of government and battle victories — a pictorial history of the Dahomey kingdom
3
Agojie Female Warrior Memorial
Agojie - the king's female elite soldiers immortalized in 'The Woman King' - trained within these palace walls; the memorial honoring them was recently restored
4
Vodoun Royal Shrines
The palace complex contains active vodoun shrines to the royal ancestors — ceremonies here connect the living royal family to the spirits of Dahomey's warrior kings
5
The Anthropology Museum's collection
The museum inside the palace has thrones, royal regalia and war trophies including skull-decorated thrones - some of the most extraordinary royal objects in Africa
6
Abomey Artisan Tradition
The city of Abomey is famous for its applique tapestries depicting the history of Dahomey - living master craftsmen produce the same scenes as their ancestors in the palace workshops