Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Ouidah
Ouidah is a city on the Atlantic coast of Benin. Originally known as Ajuda, the Portuguese reached the town in 1580, after which it grew around the slave trade.
The Portuguese, English, French and Danish all constructed forts in the city to protect their interests in slaving. The Portuguese Fort of São João Batista , now housing a museum, dates from 1721 and remained with Portugal until 1960.
Other attractions in Ouidah include the Maison du Brésil art gallery, a voodoo python temple, an early twentieth century basilica and the Sacred Forest of Kpasse , dotted with bronze statues.
The Route des Esclaves , by which slaves were taken to the beach, has numerous statues and monuments, including the Door of No Return , a monumental arch .
10-26-2009 08:16:03
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details