castle History of the Fon
The royal palaces of Abomey
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, the royal palaces of Abomey bear witness to 270 years of history of the kingdom of Dahomey. Architecture, bas-reliefs and symbols tell the story of the 12 kings.
Construction and evolution
The first palace was built by King Houegbadja (1645-1685). Each following king built a new one, without destroying his predecessor’s. The result: 12 palaces over 44 hectares.
The walls that speak
The palace walls are decorated with clay bas-reliefs that tell of the kings’ exploits — wars, conquests, trade.
The kings’ totem animals
Each king had his totem animal:
Visiting
The royal palaces museum is open every day except Monday. Guided tour of 1h30, about 10,000 F CFA. Not to be missed if you want to understand the history of the Fon.
12 palaces, 270 years of history
The palaces of Abomey are one of the most powerful sites in West Africa. Every wall, every sculpture, every courtyard carries a living memory of Dahomey.
Fon culture is understood in the Fon language.
Proverbs, Vodun, the history of Danxomɛ: all of it is said first in Fon. 79 video lessons with a native speaker, from the first greeting to conversation — so you can listen to this culture without having it translated for you.
One free trial lesson when you sign up.
- The Fon video course: see the program — 79 lessons with a native speaker from Cotonou, taught in French
- What is your Fon level? — the free 15-question test