Videos

This UNESCO World Heritage compound, located a three-hour drive inland from Benin's capital Porto-Novo and 2½ from its largest city Cotonou, was the centre of the Dahomey kingdom which from 162 through the end of the 19th century became rich and powerful especially thanks to the transatlantic slave trade. Dahomey conquered surrounding peoples, then sold them to European slavers. It's a sobering reminder that the evils of chattel slavery were the responsibility not just of white Europeans by of black Africans victimizing other black Africans.