Abomey

Abomey is a town and former capital of Benin.

Travel to Abomey

GPS Nearby Bohicon has a rail link with the capital Cotonou and Parakou in the north and there are three departures in each direction every week. Tickets from Cotonou costs CFA 1100 in second class and CFA 1400 in first. You can take the very good Baobab Express Bus to get to Bohicon. They have quite new buses with air conditioning and Wifi and set a focus on security and punctuality. (2500 CFA per person from Cotonou in December. 2023) Bush taxis from Bohicon cost CFA 300 and CFA 2000 for the 3-hour ride from Cotonou. Cheaper but slower public buses are also available.

Getting around

Abomey Royal Palace - One of the Royal Palaces. Zemi-johns are a popular, affordable and efficient way to get around. They are simply a scooter-like taxi popular in the nation.

Sightseeing Tips

The Royal Palaces of Abomey are a group of earthen structures built by the Fon people of the Dahomey Kingdom between the mid-17th and late 19th Centuries. One of the most famous and historically significant traditional sites in West Africa and the Palaces are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Each king had a new palace built for himself. They are filled with larger numbers of bas-reliefs and artwork that display everyday life, including war, sacrifices and torture methods. The Dahomey were also notable for being one of the main beneficiaries of the Atlantic slave trade, with palaces largely having been built using wealth acquired from capturing slaves from neighbouring ethnic groups to sell to the Europeans. The palaces are:

Akaba Royal Palace
Gbehanzin Royal Palace
Palace of King Glele
Palace of King Agaja
Palace of King Tegbessu
Palace of King Agoli-Agbo
Palace of King Ghezo
Palace of King Angoglo
Palace of King Kpengla It is also worth visiting the nearby museum:
Musée Historique d'Abomey - Historical Museum | 7.18639,1.99391 ☎ +229 22 50 03 14 Opening Hours: Monday - F: 8:30am-6pm, Saturday - Sunday: 8:30am-5pm CFA 2500 Houses a number of artefacts and relics from the area. Some of the banners show torture and war tactics of the former Kingdom. The throne of Ghezo is exhibited, which was built on top of human skulls. Admission includes a guided tour, which takes about an hour.

What to do as a Muslim in Abomey

Abomey-Königspalast3 - A royal palace.

Muslim Friendly Shopping

The Musée Historique d'Abomey sells souvenirs, including banners and bronze figurines.
Chez Yemadje Rue du Palais Royal ☎ +229 9579 0945, +229 9782 3363 Opening Hours: 7am-7pm Owned and maintained by the family that once embroidered for the previous kings. Sells various craft work. }}

Halal Restaurants Please be informed that on some destination such as Abomey we had no local Muslim that has researched some of the area. If you are a Muslim/Muslima and have been to Abomey or would like to maintain the eHalal Guide to Abomey, please contact us at guides@ehalal.io and email us your updates.

Where to stay

There are a few motels in town, but none are of particularly good quality.

Abomey Halal Travel Guide

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