Ouidah Museum of History, Ouidah, Benin 

The Ouidah Museum of History contains a wealth of objects and illustrations of historic and cultural significance, which together gives the visitor an intimate understanding of the region’s past. The museum’s collections are grouped into six major themes: the Portuguese Fort, the Kingdom of Xwéda , the Kingdom of Dahomey , the Slave Trade, Vodun, and the Cultural Links between Benin and the New World.

Ouidah is best known for its central role in the slave trade during the 17th , 18th , and 19th centuries, during which time nearly 1,000,000 individuals were boarded onto ships from the beach at Ouidah and were transported across the Atlantic. Originally, however, Ouidah was a small village in the small Xwéda kingdom that supported itself through agriculture, hunting and fishing in the coastal lagoons – the inhabitants had very little to do with the sea and its treacherous tides.

Epic Benin Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound

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