They honestly don´t look like all that much to our modern Western eyes, but hundfed-acre compound with a dozen thatch-roofed ¨palaces¨ in this city of around 90,000 about two hours from Cotonou represents the legacy of one of Africa´s most significant kingdoms, founded by the Fon people in the early 17th century and lasting till 1900, highly centralized, militaristic, and important .in the slave trade.  Nearby, the Musée Historique d´Abomey displays artifacts and relics from the kingdom, including the royal throne.


Dominik Schwarz