Abomey, the town where the palaces were built, was surrounded by a mud wall with a circumference of nearly 10 km. There were six gates on the wall and the town was protected by a ditch nearly 1.5 metre-deep filled with a dense growth of prickly acacia. This defence method was quite popular in West African strongholds. Within Abomey were villages, marketplace, royal palaces and a large square containing the barracks.
The royal palaces were predominantly built using earth, wood, straw and sheet-metal. The foundation, floors and raised structures of the palaces were constructed using earth. While wood work was done using palm, bamboo, iroko and mahogany species, the roof of the palaces was built using straw and sheet-metal. The average thickness of the palace walls was about half a metre. This helped maintain cool temperatures inside the rooms.
While each royal palace was designed to suit the whims of the king who ordered its construction, the main structures were usually similar. Each king’s palace consisted of several courtyards – the kpodoji courtyards and its buildings, the ajalalahennu courtyard and its buildings, and the honga.
The kpodoji courtyard was usually a gathering place where the king and his court watched sacred dancers and listened to songs. It is surrounded by three buildings – lgodo, where the council meets; the legedexo, where the guards lived; and the tasinonxo, the living quareters for the princesses in charge of the ancestors’ cult.
The ajalalahennu courtyard was reserved for formal receptions and ancestor worship. The ajalala was the most famous building in this courtyard. A hall with many openings, it consisted of a bedroom at each end, with a grand reception area in between.
The back doors of the ajalala led to the honga which was the royal dwelling. Here, the king would admit only those he trusted.
Bas-reliefs
Early in the 18th Century, Dahomey King Agaja is believed to have started the tradition of decorating the palace walls with murals, encrusted shells, bas-reliefs, pearls and perforations. Of the lot, the bas-reliefs are considered the most remarkable element due to their artistry. These bas-reliefs have exceptional historical value as they bring to life the history of the powerful kingdom of Dahomey.
Palaces on fire
Towards the end of the 19th century, the Kingdom of Dahomey was invaded by France. Though Dahomey put up a fight, its forces finally succumbed to the French. During this time, King Behanzin, the last independent reigning king of Dahomey, set fire to Abomey to prevent the French from taking over the palaces. In the fire, most of the palaces were destroyed, especially the roofs which were made of straw and sheet-metal.
The French tried to restore the palaces with the help of Dahomey’s 12th king Agoli-Agbo until his deportation to Gabon in 1990. Today, two of the palaces that managed to survive the fire have been converted into museums.
Picture Credit : Google
