Benin City

Benin was the capital of a kingdom that from the thirteenth century built one of the most accomplished metal-casting traditions in the world, the brass and ivory works known as the Benin Bronzes, made for the court by a guild of casters and set on altars in the palace. The kingdom was also enclosed by an extraordinary system of earth walls and ditches, the Benin Moats, running for a great distance around the city and its outlying settlements. British forces sacked the city in 1897 and removed thousands of the castings, most of which remain in European and American museums; restitution has been under negotiation for years. The palace of the Oba stands in the city, the casters still work on Igun street, and the National Museum holds a small collection.

History

The Portuguese visited Benin City around 1485, and it grew rich in the 16th and 17th centuries on trade within southern Nigeria and with Europeans, mostly in pepper and ivory; in the early 16th century the Oba sent an ambassador to Lisbon. The Portuguese captain Lourenço Pinto described "Great Benin" in 1691 (Wikipedia, Benin City).

What to look for

• The Oba's palace - the royal compound and its altars.
• Igun street - the brass casters' guild working in the lost-wax method.
• The Benin moats - surviving sections of the great earthwork system.
• The National Museum - the local collection of castings and material.

When to go

November to March in the dry season; the Igue festival around December and the Oba's ceremonies bring processions and are the most striking time. Weekday mornings suit the palace and museum.

Practical notes

Most of the great castings are in museums abroad and the collections in Benin City are modest. Palace access is restricted and photography usually prohibited. The moats are overgrown and encroached in most places. Igun street is a working guild with sales pressure.

Nearby

Okomu national park lies west; Warri is south.

Key facts