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TOURISM IN BENIN | Travels to Benin |
Travel to Benin
Area: 112.622 kmq
Borders: Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Togo
Inhabitants: 7.5 million (99% fon and adja, yoruba, bariba,
betamaribé, fulans and 36 other groups)
Capital: Porto Novo (237.100 abitanti)
Languages: french (official), fon, yoruba, dendi, bariba,
ge and almost 50 tribal languages
Religions: 50% animist, 20% muslim, 30% christian
National holiday: August, 1st
Time: GMT + 1
Telephone access code: 00 229
Money: CFA
Although a small country, Benin has much to offer. Added to an authentic taste of African bush country, there are a whole range of natural and human curiosities to be found and they can all be characterised by one simple word: charm.
We use the word ‘charm’ first to describe the extraordinary Beninese women, which social emancipation was not a recent development. In the last century they were famed for making up the battalions of Amazon warriors who served the King of Abomey. Their pugnacity is still manifest today in their business dealings in the markets, where they reign supreme. Their spirited presence together with their natural air of authority and the richness and magnificence of their appearance is captivating.
The Latin Quarter of Africa
Not to be outdone by the women, the Beninese men are renowned for their assiduous approach to education. From one generation to the next they study hard at school in the hope of ensuring a higher quality of life for their children and their children’s children. Benin is referred to as the ‘Latin Quarter of Africa’ due to the people’s enquiring minds and intelligence. During colonial times, in Francophone West Africa, most government officials, secretaries, directors and nurses were either Beninese or Togolese.
The town of Ouidah, 40 km west of Cotonou is typically and profoundly African. Ouidah is known as the religious capital of the country due to the numerous festivals with singing, chanting, drumming and strange dances that take place there. These bear witness to a tradition of beliefs and local superstitions interrupted or changed over hundreds of years. Voodoo was born in the villages that lie between Abomey and Ouidah – a religion whose rites were transported across the Atlantic by the slaves and is still practised today in the Caribbean. The fetishists of Ouidah are powerful and people travel great distances to consult them. The Temple of the Sacred Pythons, in spite of its modest appearance, houses a fetish that is still venerated today. Ouidah is reknowned as one of the major ports from which thousands of slaves were transported across the Atlantic. A memorial walk through the majestic coconut groves leads along the route which they took. At various points sculptures, including the Tree of Forgetfulness serve as reminders of their plight. At the Ocean's edge a poignant monument, ‘The Gate of No Return’ remembers all those transported on the awaiting ships. Other attractions include walking along the wide avenues of Ouidah visiting the modern Youth and Cultural Centre, the Cathedral and the history museum which is housed in the buildings of the Old Portuguese fort.
Villages on the water
Slit villages were built in Lake Nokwe, 20km north of Cotonou by the Tofinu people who fled there to escape enslavement by the kings of Dahomey. Ganvié, the most famous, is a very large village made up of bamboo houses resting on teak stilts, perched above the water. The village is scattered and all journeys between houses are done in wooden boats on the waterways that separate them. When you are there, however, it is not only the ingenuity of the constructions that you admire – your attention is also drawn to the details of village life like the colourful floating market and the boats of chattering children heading off to school. The welcoming Tofinu are primarily fishermen and like to show off their fishing skills as well as the ovens, situated next to their homes, where the fish are dried. These smoked fish are taken and sold in the markets by the women. The villagers also benefit by selling their fine wooden carvings to visitors.
Abomey – Art & Legend
Our first port of call in Abomey is the Palace Museum where the kings of this brave and valiant people lived. The Palace has been restored and visitors enjoy a detailed guided tour viewing relics of recent Kings. We hear about the history of Dahomey, dating back to the end of the 16th century, the fearsome female Amazon warriors and the troubled reigns of Kings who led armies in never-ending wars as well as the splendours of their court. Dahomey's tragic conflicts and troubles inspired some of William Shakespeare’s plays. The Palace also houses a huge range of Beninese art – samples of all the different kinds of art and craftwork are exhibited there: sculpted bas-reliefs, statues, furniture, thrones, sceptres, tapestries, embroidery, bronze and copper artefacts. To the north of Abomey the palm groves gradually fade away and bush country takes its place. This is an area covered in light forest, punctuated by black hills. Interesting villages built amongst the large rounded blocks of rock perch on the slopes.
Castles of Clay
Following the Atakora mountain range we arrive in Somba country. This word describes a whole range of different peoples; the Tamberma, the Betammaribe, the Bessoribe, the Betiabe and the Wama. One thing they all have in common is the ‘tata’, this being the name of the dwellings in which they live. Tata are built in the shape of small castles and are several storeys high. The definition of a man in Somba country is one who has completed many initiation rites and who owns his own traditional ‘tata’. These tata, constructed of clay and thatch in the Atakora hills, enchanted and inspired the great architect, Le Courbusier. Each house is surrounded by cultivated fields of millet, and sorghum. Centuries ago the peoples of these villages chose to take refuge in this territory, because it is not easily accessible so protecting them from slavery and outside influences which might interfere with their way of life. The beautiful, fine scarification on their faces and their bellies are the marks of the strict initiation rites into adulthood. The villagers still hunt with bows and arrows.
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