Ancient palaces and sacrificial sites
Today's Benin originated in the Dahomey Kingdom, which was founded in 1610 by Do Aklin. The inhabitants of the kingdom of Dahomey (also called Danxomé) belong to the ethnic group de Fon. These were real fighters who focused on the slave trade. This slave trade earned them a great deal of power and wealth in the form of weapons, substances and beads. At the end of the nineteenth century there was even war with the French, after which it became a French colony. From 1960 the country is independent again and in 1975 it got its current name: Benin. The handicraft rugs with images of the symbols of the 12 kings benin knew still remind of this past. The ancient palaces and sacrificial sites introduce visitors to the legends of Togo and Benin.
