Edo State, Nigeria

Edo State and its capital Benin City: This is a town famed for its culture and traditions and the virtually wear their culture on their sleeves. It is easy to distinguish a Benin chief from the commoner in the street. His hairdo is the first giveaway. The second is the traditional dress, if he chooses to wear one, because they are restricted to chiefs only. The houses they live in are also, by traditional law, limited to chiefs only. These houses cannot fail to attract any first visitor to town because of the uniqueness of the way the walls are rendered IN FURROWS

It is sacrilegious and laughable for a commoner to imitate the, hairdo, dress code or house of a chief. The societal ridicule alone makes it not worth while.

Grotto Afrique’s visit to Benin City, Edo state, was motivated by the centenary celebration of Egedege Nokaro – as the first storey building in town is called. That story will form the highlight of this write-up.

We start with a focus on the houses of chiefs in general and because even among chiefs there is protocol and class distinction, and within each class there is further distinction. It is therefore proper to start from the top. THE UZAMA NIHINRON – The Seven Kingmakers — is by implication the number one group in town. This class of chiefs were created by Oba Eweka 1 around 1200 AD. Their titles are hereditary, passing down from father to eldest male son. Women still do not inherit in Benin and neither do they qualify to be made chiefs. The UZAMA NIHINRON in order of seniority is;

• Chief Oliha – leader
• Chief Edohen
• Chief Ezomo
• Chief Ero
• Chief Eholo N’ire
• Chief Oloton

The Edaiken, Crown Prince, who will eventually occupy the Oba Palace

These are the six palaces they have occupied for generations. The greatest ambition of a Benin first son is to inherit his father’s house. He might be living in a mansion owned by him and the abode his father is living in might be a semi dilapidated mud hut, he will still covet the mud hut. In some other cases there have been protracted bloody battles and civil litigations in court to process these homes. The ownership is usually a matter of honour and prestige and in the case of chiefs, family history, heirloom and religious faith. Great pains are taken to maintain the original façade of these houses even though in most cases mansions are concealed behind or nearby. The shrines and religious spots are rarely tampered with, thereby maintaining their aura of mystique and power. The palaces;

We include for added pleasure photographs of some of the landmarks in Benin City;

The Oba Palace

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This is the primordial palace of Benin. The palace was first built in 1255 AD on land that was more than three times the present size. It was sacked and looted by the British Expeditionary Forces in 1897. The present palace is a replica of the old palace on a much smaller scale – The elaborate walls with its corrugated design distinguishes it from the norm.

Oba Palace wall. Right View	Oba of Benin Palace at Adesogbe, Benin, Benin City
Shrine at entrance lobby. Original	Ughaozolua Wall
Main Gate. Oba Palace	Oba Palace Wall Back View by Ezoti Street.
Chief Oliha Palace at Siluko Road, Oliha Qtrs, Benin City.	Chief Edohen Palace at Ekenwan Road,Benin City,
Chief Ezomo Palace at Ekenwan Road, Benin City.	Eholo N’Ire Palace at Ihogbe,Benin City
Chief Ero Palace at Iya-Ero, Benin City.	Chief Oloton Palace at Isekhere, Benin City.
Isekhure of Benin Palace, Sakponba	Chief Isekhure Office, Sakponba Road
CHIEF OGIAMIEN PALACE. A historical landmark. The homestead of the descendants of Evian, the administrator of Benin after the banishment of the last Ogiso during the first Dynasty which ended in 1100AD. The palace was so well built with mud that it was one of the houses that survived the great Benin fire that destroyed part of the town.	THE BENIN MOAT at Sakponba Road. The first phase of the moat was dug from 1280-1290AD by Oba Oguola as a defensive shield against invaders. The third and final phase was completed in 1460AD.
EGEDEGE NOKARO. The first story building in Benin as it is fondly called, was started in 1903 and completed in 1905 by Chief Iyamu, the Ine of Benin. The splendor of the building as shown in the photographs above during the centenary celebration, is a testimony to the awe the building must have generated a century ago when the architectural landscape was made up of mud huts.	…
THE TOMB OF ASORO at Sakponba Road. He was the valiant Odionwere Omada, Head of household staff, of Oba Ovonramwen. He mobilized a handful of omadas and fought a very ferocious and gallant last ditch battle against the British invaders in defense of his Oba. The tomb marks the spot where he finally fell.	IGUN STREET. The guild of Benin bronze casters’ world heritage site. The street has the largest collection of bronze casters imaginable. Many of them are in family units who have been in the business for generations.