La ville de Porto-Novo

Photo by Stanislaw Warwas.

La ville de Porto-Novo: quartiers anciens et Palais Royal is part of the Tentative list of Benin in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

The old quarters and Royal Palace of Porto-Novo reflect its period as the capital of the tributary of the Yoruba kingdom of Oyo and the French colony of Dahomey. The Royal Palace is also known as King Toffa's Palace, referring to the late 19th century ruler King Toffa I who was renowned for his openness and cooperation with the colonial powers.

Map of La ville de Porto-Novo

Load map

The coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.

Community Reviews

Write a review


Christravelblog

Netherlands - 20-Nov-22 -

La ville de Porto-Novo: quartiers anciens et Palais Royal (T) by Christravelblog

Porto-Novo is the capital of Benin, but all government and trade is in Cotonou. Porto-Novo is all about colonial heritage, both from the French Colonial Empire and Colonial Portugal. I recommend having your private driver drop you at the botanical gardens and make your way from there, passing all places of interest, and finish at the house of the Nine-head monster.

After exploring the Botanical Gardens first go to the central square with the statue of King Toffa I. Continue to the cathedral and make your way towards the old mosque. You’ll pass some other churches, markets, and colonial buildings. You can also visit the inside of the old mosque, but you need someone to open it. That’s why I highly recommend getting a local guide who can show you all and more places of interest. I saw more as I expected. From the old mosque it’s a short walk to the Nine Headed Monster house. Make sure your driver is there to pick you up, so you don’t need to walk back and thus save time. Have lunch in Porto-Novo at one of the local places.

I think the Colonial heritage has some UOV but it needs a lot of attention and preservation. Many buildings are falling apart and the cathedral also has had its best days. I think it's a good addition to Benins WHS list.

Read more from Christravelblog here.


Community Likes

100%

1 Votes

Full Name
La ville de Porto-Novo: quartiers anciens et Palais Royal
Country
Benin
Added
1996
Type
Cultural
Categories
Urban landscape - Colonial
Link
By ID
1996 Added to Tentative List

The site has 1 locations

La ville de Porto-Novo: quartiers anciens et Palais Royal (T)
WHS 1997-2024