The ancient Benin Kingdom of Nigeria once stood as the most advanced and influential civilization in West Africa. Within its boundaries, a complex system of walls surpassed even the Great Wall of China in terms of scale and sophistication.
The Guinness Book of Records, in its 1974 edition, attested that the Benin walls ranked as the world's largest earthworks constructed before the age of machinery.
Tragically, the kingdom's prominence came to an end in the late 19th century when British colonizers infiltrated its territory. In 1897, a significant attack was launched by the British following the killing of a group of their officials by Benin warriors. In the wake of this attack, the British razed the kingdom's capital, pillaged its riches, and exiled its ruler.
Today, countless treasures looted from this ancient kingdom are scattered across the globe. Regrettably, only remnants of the once-magnificent walls, unparalleled in the world, remain standing today.
The Kingdom of Benin prospered from the 1200s to the 1800s C.E. in western Africa, in what is now Nigeria.
The historical kingdom of Benin was established in the forested region of West Africa in the 1200s C.E. According to history, the Edo people of southern Nigeria founded Benin. They no longer wanted to be ruled by their kings, known as the ogisos. They asked a prince from Ife, an important West African kingdom, to take control. The first oba, or king, in Benin was Eweka. He was the son of the prince from Ife.
The kingdom reached its greatest power and size under Oba Ewuare the Great. He expanded the kingdom and improved the capital, present-day Benin City; the city was defined by massive walls. The height of power for Benin’s monarchs began during this period. To honor the powerful obas, the people of Benin participated in many rituals that expressed their devotion and loyalty, including human sacrifices.
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