Ouidah

Ouidah is a city of the Bénin, located at 42 km of Cotonou. Its population is of approximately: 60000 inhabitants.

History

Ouidah was one of the principal points of loading of the slaves towards Americas. One estimates at nearly 2 million the slaves left from the coast Benign (11 million for all the treats Western).

They were gathered on a place to be sold there. Then, they traversed connected the few kilometers which separated them from the beach: it is the beginning of the road of the slaves. Connected the ones with the others, they went up in boats. Persuaded that the white slave traders were going to eat them, some preferred to be thrown to the sea and to die drowned. The others were piled up in the holds of the ships and were to suffer from the long crossing towards the new world.

Culture

This city knew 4 forts: strong French, strong Portuguese, strong German and strong Swedish. Only former strong Portuguese, going back to 1721, is still visible. He shelters the historical Musée of Ouidah.

Ouidah shelters various monuments:

the Door of Non the Return in memory of the slave period.
a monument for the jubilee of the year 2000 (on the right).
Différentes sculptures (an about eight) marks the old way which was taken by the slaves.
the crowned forest of Kpasse.
the Temple Voodoo of the Pythons.
the first cathedral of the Benign one.

Since 1998, on January 10th with Ouidah marks the traditional festival of Vodoun (Vaudou).

Ouidah is twinned with Melun (France) since 2003.

External bonds

Presentation of the city on the site of the Beninese ministry of Tourism.
the site of the festival Quintessence.

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