The Royal Palaces of Abomey are the essential material evidence of the Kingdom of Danxomé, which developed in the region from the mid-17th century onwards in accordance with the precept enunciated by its founder, Hwegbaja, “that the kingdom be ever greater”. Twelve kings succeeded one another until 1900. Today, the site is still alive, the scene of ceremonies commemorating royal power. The bas-reliefs adorning the facades of certain buildings eloquently illustrate the deeds of these kings. The Royal Palaces of Abomey are the essential material evidence of the Kingdom of Danxomé, which developed in the region from the mid-17th century onwards in accordance with the precept enunciated by its founder, Hwegbaja, “that the kingdom be ever greater”. Twelve kings succeeded one another until 1900. Today, the site is still alive, the scene of ceremonies commemorating royal power. The bas-reliefs adorning the facades of certain buildings eloquently illustrate the deeds of these kings.

The palaces are located side by side, within an enclosing moat, and are organized as a succession of hierarchical courtyards, accessed through portals punctuating the surrounding walls. The multiplicity of royal palaces, plus the so-called “private” palaces located outside the main enclosure, and the probable existence of decoy residences, were all means of protecting the king and his subjects from possible attacks from neighboring kingdoms, or even internal rivalries.

Problématique

The difficulties of conserving the site are linked to several factors:

  • The sheer size of the site, which covers almost 47 hectares;
  • The relative fragility of certain materials in the face of sometimes violent weather;
  • Neglect, bush fires, lack of maintenance, animals, insects, etc., which accelerate the degradation process;
  • The adoption of new materials and construction techniques, or reference to new architectural models, leading to the loss of traditional know-how.

Strategy adopted

Since 1996, CRAterre has been called upon on several occasions to strengthen the capacities of the team responsible for the conservation of the site and, beyond that, of the Cultural Heritage Department;
The first activities took the form of training workshops, which enabled conservation and prevention techniques to be fine-tuned with the technical managers, and some twenty craftsmen to be trained. At the same time, extensive documentation work has enabled us to compile a large volume of historical archives on Abomey, as well as to draw up complete plans for the 3 palaces of Ghézo, Glélé and Agonglo.
These initial actions enabled us to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of deterioration and the opportunities for improving the management of the site. In 1998, the first management plan was published.
CRAterre was then involved in a number of conservation and enhancement activities, including the publication of two promotional booklets designed to raise awareness of Abomean heritage and increase the volume of revenue dedicated to conservation.

Results

  • Site documentation (architectural surveys of the Ghézo, Glélé and Agonglo palaces)
  • Compilation of archives on the Royal Palaces based on bibliographical research;
  • Establishment of a detailed maintenance plan for the site and evaluation of its annual budgetary implications, which ultimately led to a significant improvement in the site's cleanliness and conservation;
  • Establishment of a management plan which has served as a guide for the conservation of the site for almost 8 years, and which is currently being revised;
  • Training of the Museum's technical staff;
  • Training of some twenty craftsmen;
  • Preparation of a conservation manual;
  • Preparation of a preventive conservation program;
  • Publication of 2 promotional booklets, one on the Palaces of King Gbèhanzin, and one on Abomey;
  • Preparation with the DPC team of a Management Plan for the site;
  • Contributions to the conservation of numerous endangered elements, including the Honnuwa of the kings Agaja, Tégbésu, Kpengla and Aglongo.

Go to the Abomey page on the UNESCO website

Partners

Direction du Patrimoine Culturel du Bénin, Ministère de la Culture, de l’Alphabétisation et de la promotion des langues nationales du Bénin, Familles royales, ICCROM, UNESCO – Centre du Patrimoine Mondial, Mairie d’Abomey, Mairie d’Albi, Office du tourisme d’Abomey, Gouvernement du Japon.