Culture

Porto-Novo

06°29′N 002°36′E · Ouémé

Benin's official capital, a Yoruba-founded city known for its royal palace museum, Afro-Brazilian mosque and ethnographic collections.

Porto-Novo is the constitutional capital of Benin and seat of the National Assembly, though most government offices sit in Cotonou. Once a Yoruba kingdom that later fell under French protection, it retains the royal palace of King Toffa, now the Musée Honmè, which illustrates court life. Its Grande Mosquée is built in an Afro-Brazilian style resembling a church, reflecting returnee heritage, while the Alexandre Sènou Adandé Ethnographic Museum holds Yoruba masks and regional artefacts. The historic town centre stands on Benin's UNESCO Tentative List.

Sources: [1] · [2]

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