Royal Palaces of Abomey

The Royal Palaces of Abomey, in southern Benin, are the seat of the kingdom of Dahomey, whose twelve kings ruled from 1625 to 1900. The site covers 47 ha (about 116 acres) and contains ten palaces within a cob-walled enclosure, with King Akaba's palace standing separately. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

Layout

The palaces were added successively, some side by side and some superimposed, following the order of succession. Each is arranged around three courtyards: an outer, an inner and a private court.

Materials

UNESCO lists the traditional materials as laterite earth, water, wood and straw. Earth was used for foundations, floors and raised structures, and walls averaged about 0.5 m (20 in) thick, which kept rooms cool. Timbers included palm, bamboo, iroko and mahogany. The roofs were covered with straw and, in later periods, sheet metal.

Bas-reliefs

The palace walls carry polychrome bas-reliefs, modelled from termite-mound earth mixed with palm oil and coloured with plant and mineral pigments. In the absence of written records they served as a chronicle of military victories, myths and rituals. Many originals are now in the museum, with replicas on the walls.

Damage and loss

• Fire, 1890s. King Béhanzin ordered the city and palaces burned in the face of French conquest (sources give 1892 or 1894).
• Tornado, 15 March 1984. A tornado damaged the royal enclosure and museum buildings, including the portico of King Guézo and the king's tomb.
• Bushfire, 21 January 2009. Many buildings were destroyed, including the tombs of Kings Agonglo and Guézo.

Roofs are the most vulnerable part of such a complex: straw burns easily and lifts in high winds, and failed roofs quickly expose earth walls and reliefs to rain.

Conservation

The site was on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1985 to 2007. A 1995 inventory supported by the World Heritage Centre mapped 184 components, more than half of which have since been restored to accepted standards. The Getty Conservation Institute has worked on the bas-reliefs since 1993. A buffer zone has been protected by urban-planning rules since 2006, and Benin's Law No. 2007-20 adds legal protection. The Abomey Historical Museum, founded in 1943, occupies the palaces of Guézo and Glèlè.