Allada

Allada was the capital of a kingdom that dominated this coast before Dahomey rose, and the tradition holds that the brothers who founded Dahomey and Porto-Novo left Allada after a succession dispute, which makes it the parent of both. A royal palace and court still function there. Toussaint Louverture's father is traditionally said to have come from Allada before being enslaved and shipped to Saint-Domingue. The town sits on the plateau road that carried the trade between the coast and the interior, which is what made it powerful before Dahomey took that traffic north.

Background

The town stands on the site of Great Ardra, known as well as Grand Ardra and Arda, capital of the Adja-Eʋe kingdom of Allada. Oral tradition says the Aja came around the 12th or 13th century from Tado, on the Mono River in present-day Togo. In the mid-sixteenth century Great Ardra had about 30,000 people. Around 1600 three brothers divided the region: Kokpon kept Great Ardra, Do-Aklin founded Abomey, and Te-Agdanlin founded Little Ardra, which Portuguese traders later called Porto Novo, meaning "New Port". The kingdom lasted until 1724. Today's commune, in the Atlantique Department, covers 381 square kilometres and counted 127,512 people in 2013.

Source: Wikipedia, "Allada"

The main sights

• The royal court - the palace and court that still function in the town.
• The kingdom's history - the state that Dahomey and Porto-Novo both grew out of.
• The Louverture tradition - the association with the Haitian leader's father.
• The market - the trading centre for the surrounding country.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season. Palace visits must be arranged with the court. Market days bring the town to life.

Good to know

There is little interpreted for visitors and the palace requires arrangement. The Louverture connection is tradition rather than documented fact. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Ouidah is south, and Abomey is north.

Key facts