The Kingdom of Benin

The Kingdom of Benin was one of the most powerful and sophisticated civilisations in West African history. Located in what is now southern Nigeria, it flourished from around the 13th century until the British invasion in 1897. At its height, Benin controlled a large empire with a well-organised government headed by a divine king called the Oba. The capital city, Benin City, was surrounded by massive earthwork walls — some of the largest in the world. Benin is perhaps most famous for its extraordinary artworks: bronze plaques and sculptures, and intricate ivory carvings, created using the lost-wax casting technique, that captured the history and power of the royal court in stunning detail. Many of these ‘Benin Bronzes’ were taken by British forces in 1897 and are now held in museums around the world, though many are being returned to Nigeria. The Kingdom of Benin shows that Africa had sophisticated, wealthy and culturally rich civilisations long before European contact.