In the late 13th century Oba Oguola (1274-1287) completed the first and second moats and ordered the construction of 20 more moats around essential towns and villages; during this period the kingdom was near its peak and was engaged in many wars. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and improve your knowledge base. The Benin City walls have been known to Westerners since around 1500. Trouble started in the 19th century due to increased European interference. In 1974 the Guinness Book Of Records described the Walls of Benin City and its surrounding kingdom as the world’s largest earthworks carried out before the mechanical era. This was no mean feat. The kingdom quickly established trade relations with the Europeans and soon word began to spread around Europe of the magnificent kingdom in the African forests. The walls of Benin City and its surrounding kingdom were a man-made marvel described as “the world’s largest earthworks prior to the mechanical era”. However, these estimates have been criticized for not taking into account the time it would have taken to extract earth from an ever deepening hole and the time it would have taken to heap the earth into a high bank.[9]. The ramparts ranged in size from shallow traces to gigantic 20-meter-high (66 feet) around Benin City. In the late 16th Century Oba Ewuare The Great (1440-1473) further fortified and extended the moats by about 3200 kilometres, erected Nine fortified gates and put up thoroughfares. Altogether this was double the length of the Ming Great Wall of China, which measured 8,851 kilometres. The court has many galleries flanked by wooden pillars. The moats were guarded round the clock, and any invader that was trying to get through could be seen and killed or captured by Benin soldiers. The upper parts of the city were where the Uzama chiefs and army commanders lived. The moats were therefore built as a defensive fortification. We know that the central figure is an Oba because of his distinctive coral beaded regalia. The houses are large and handsome with walls made from clay. It would be a money spinner generating billions in annual tourist revenue. "[11], Series of earthworks around present-day Benin City, Nigeria, "Conservation Management of the Benin Earthworks of Southern Nigeria: A critical review of past and present action plans", "Story of cities #5: Benin City, the mighty medieval capital now lost without trace", "Two thousand years of West African history", http://www.beninmoatfoundation.org/clarioncall.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walls_of_Benin&oldid=1008838288, Historic buildings and structures in Nigeria, Nigeria articles missing geocoordinate data, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 February 2021, at 09:04. Check out our benin city selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our prints shops. These were high huge metal lamps placed around the city with a wick fuelled by palm oil to provide illumination at night. For most traders and merchants it was far easier to simply conduct their business outside of the capital. Its construction is estimated to have started as early as 800AD. The EMOWAA will be home to the ‘Royal Collection’, the most comprehensive display of Benin Bronzes in the world. Also, attendants hold shields above his head, either to protect him from attack or possibly from the hot, tropical sun. And a great number of musicians walk before and behind him, playing merry tunes on all sorts of musical instruments. The Benin walls consisted of a combination of ramparts and moats. He united China and from BC220-206 connected all the walls and made them bigger and stronger. Scattered pieces of the structure remain in Edo, with the vast majority of them being used by the locals for building purposes. Around 1500, the Portuguese explorer Duarte Pacheco Pereira, briefly described the walls during his travels. The Benin Walls were demolished by the British during the Benin Expedition of 1897. This remarkable brass plaque, dated between 1550-1680, depicts an Oba (or king) and his attendants from the Benin Empire—a powerful kingdom located in present-day Nigeria. Built before the advent of modern equipment, the wall served as protection for the city against invaders especially the European imperial invaders who were notorious slave hunters. Then he orders some tame leopards that he keeps, to be led about the city in chains.”. [7], Estimates for the initial construction of the walls range from the first millennium CE to the mid-fifteenth century CE. In 1897, the British invaded the Kingdom of Benin in what is now considered a punitive expedition. Benin City was the capital of the Benin Empire (1180–1897 CE), which was among the most highly developed states in sub-Saharan Africa before the European … [3][4], The Benin City walls have been known to Westerners since around 1500. The Walls of Benin City was the world’s largest man-made earth structure. Ruiters' account of the walls is as follows: At the gate where I entered on horseback, I saw a very high bulwark, very thick of earth, with a very deep broad ditch, but it was dry, and full of high trees... That gate is a reasonable good gate, made of wood in their manner, which is to be shut, and there always there is watch holden. The walls were built of a ditch and dike structure; the ditch dug to form an inner moat with the excavated earth used to form the exterior rampart. The king doesn’t ride very far from the court, but soon returns after a little tour. London had a population of 50,000 in 1500 compared to Benin’s 80,000-100,000 (Bondarenko 2001: 123–125). For many foreign visitors it took days before they were granted access and could see the king. The inner wall had a massive gateway made of wood and earth that was heavily fortified and had a heavy wooden door; travellers and merchants bringing goods into the city usually paid a toll before the gates were open and they were let in. An ancient marvel on par with world wonders like the Taj Mahal of India or the Great Wall of China, it was constructed to secure and protect the kingdom from invaders. One can only imagine if this magnificent relic from such a rich history were in places like England, USA, Germany, or even India. The china wall on the other hand was one half the length of the Benin walls and had no moats, although it was very much wider; wide enough to serve as a transportation corridor, was a combination of several walls built at different times by different groups of Chinese dynasties and nobles for different occasions. The Outer walls formed a thick shield around the city, and its nine gates restricted access. The Walls of Benin are a series of earthworks made up of banks and ditches, called Iya in the Edo language, in the area around present-day Benin City, the capital of present-day Edo, Nigeria. The Benin City walls and moat were proclaimed national monuments on 1 June, 1967. Between the 8th and 5th centuries BC, the Chinese were in a warring states period and the major states of Qin, Wei, Qi, Yan, and Zhongshan all built huge fortifications or walls to defend themselves and secure their borders. With its mathematical layout and earthworks longer than the Great Wall of China, Benin City was one of the best planned cities in the world when London was a place of ‘thievery and murder’. This enormous earthwork known to be the lengthiest in the world was constructed by the Edo people of the defunct Great Kingdom of Benin. It would have been the most visited place in the world and a tourist haven for many millions of people from all over the world. The Great Walls of Benin was estimated to extend for about 16,000 km in length; both the exterior and interior walls. He commented that "When Europeans first came to Africa, they considered the architecture very disorganised and thus primitive. [8] It has been estimated that, assuming a 10-hour work day, a labour force of 5,000 men could have completed the walls within 97 days, or by 2,421 men in 200 days. Situated on a plain, Benin City was enclosed by massive walls in the south and deep ditches in the north. These newly built walls that connected the entire kingdom became very popular and is being referred to today as the Great Wall of China. [1] The 'walls' of Benin City and surrounding areas were described as "the world's largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era" by the Guinness book of Records. kilometres and enclosed about 6,500 square kilometres of community land in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlements. In present-day Benin, ruins of this grand structure remains scattered all over Edo Lands, locals use them as a source for obtaining building resources while some parts of it are gradually torn down by real estate developers. The earth from the dug moat was used to construct the rampart; these ramparts are steep banks of earth and any invader trying to climb over them could be buried in a sand avalanche. The walls to a great extent prevented the notorious European and African slavers from their routine raids on towns and villages in search of slaves, these raids were common at the time. Sadly one would have to resort to a visit to the British Museum in London to get a glimpse and feel of this glorious past. Great Britain sought control over the kingdom’s rich resources and trade. According to a Portuguese ship captain Lourenco Pinto in 1691 he noted that Benin was larger than Lisbon, was wealthy, industrious and well governed to the extent that there was no theft, he observed that the level of security was such that the people had no doors in their houses. Another description given around 1600, one hundred years after Pereira's description, is by the Dutch explorer Dierick Ruiters.[5]. These walls in 1974 made the Guinness Book Of World Records as the world’s largest earthworks before the mechanical era and in 1994 as the second largest man-made structure in the world after the Great Wall of China. “The Great Wall of the Ancient Benin Kingdom”, Mildred Europa Taylor. The Great China wall became famous when China opened its borders for merchants and foreigners after its defeat in the Opium wars. The figures arou… It was destroyed in 1897 by the British, who attacked after the Edo assaulted an earlier British expedition, which had been told not to enter the city during a religious festival but nonetheless attempted to do so. Website re-designed with by Nishtha, Role of Oral Tradition in Africa: Survival & …, Kingdom of Burundi: 11,000 year old invention, 5th…, The Nri Kingdom (900AD - Present): Rule by theocracy, The Colonization of Africa and why it came to an end, Scientists who benefitted from the slave trade and uncredited contributions of slaves, United States racial wealth gap since emancipation. Quick facts about the wall of Benin City: The Benin walls consisted of a combination of ramparts and moats. The location of the old Benin city is still the present-day location of Benin city in Edo state, south-west Nigeria.When the Europeans first arrived at the Benin kingdom in the late 15th Century, they were astonished by the wealth, quality of life and the organization. … Fred Pearce wrote in New Scientist: They extend for some 9,900 miles (16,000 kilometres) in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries. The earth walls of Benin were once the largest earthworks created in the pre-mechanised era and were once estimated to be four times longer [dubious – discuss] in total than the Great Wall of China. Three or four hundred noblemen accompany their king, some on horseback and some on foot. The Ancient Walls of Benin The Walls of Benin which construction started in 800 and ended about 1400AD is located in Edo State, Nigeria. It was finally completed around 1460AD. The Portuguese were stunned at this paradise in the middle of the African jungle made up of hundreds of interlocked cities and villages; they named it The Great City of Benin, this was a period when there was hardly any other place in Africa the Europeans acknowledged as a city. The materials for the construction as widely reported by most researchers was over a hundred times more than the materials used to build the great pyramid of Cheops and was estimated to have taken at least 150 million man hours of digging and hundreds of years to build. In 1995 it was recognized in the cultural category of the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list. It enclosed 6500km² of community land. The king shows himself just once a year to his people, riding out of his court on horseback. Hostilities kept rising and ultimately climaxed to the destruction and looting of the Kingdom in 1897 by the British with their superior firepower, in a retaliatory attack after eight members of a British entourage were killed by Benin warriors. The oba became the supreme political, judicial, economic, and spiritual leader of his people, and he and his ancestors eventually became the object of state cults that … The Guinness Book of Records (1974 edition) described Benin City’s walls and its surrounding kingdom as “the largest earthworks in the world carried out before the mechanical age.” It was one of the first towns to be founded and put around the city with a semblance of street lighting with massive metal lamps, several feet high. The Benin walls, on the other hand, had no such opportunity; rather sections of it were destroyed during the British punitive expedition. Its construction method predates the use of earth moving equipment or technology. The Guinness Book of Records (1974 edition) described Benin City’s walls and its surrounding kingdom as “the largest earthworks in the world carried out before the mechanical age.” It was one of the first towns to be founded and put around the city with a semblance of street lighting with massive metal lamps, several feet high. They were surrounded by high dull red outer walls with roofed tops to prevent rain washing it away. What remains of the wall itself continues to be torn down for real estate developments. Today sadly, barely any trace of this structural phenomenon exists. Inside the city is the king’s court. The wall network of Benin City was collectively four times longer than the Great Wall of China and consumed roughly a hundred times more material to build than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, according to some estimates. Benin City, the mighty medieval capital now lost without trace. It is worth noting that passing through these gates (inner and outer) in those times was no mean feat. The Walls of Benin are a series of earthworks made up of banks and ditches, called I ya in the Edo language in the area around present-day Benin City, the capital of present-day Edo, Nigeria. Another description given around 1600, one hundred years after Pereira's description, is by the Dutch explorer Dierick Ruiters. The chances are you have probably never heard of the ancient walls of Benin. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It never occurred to them that the Africans might have been using a form of mathematics that they hadn’t even discovered yet. It covered a border distance of 16,000km. It is a National Monument situated within the city walls and Moat (another historical monument).Built about 1130AD with a great significant as the only building that predate the emergence of OBASHIP in Benin political Organization and the only building that survived the 1897 British expedition and siege. [6], The archaeologist Graham Connah suggests that Pereira was mistaken with his description by saying that there was no wall. Attackers and invaders trying to climb over were target practice for Benin soldiers with their spears and poisoned arrows. Benin Plaques, Edo peoples, Benin kingdom, Nigeria c. 1530-1570, Edo peoples, Benin kingdom, Nigeria (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Speakers: Dr. Kathryn Wysocki Gunsch, Teel Curator of African and Oceanic Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Dr. Beth Harris Until then, Benin City had been known for its impressive architecture, including its city walls that were said to be four times as long as the Great Wall of China, but these were all destroyed by the British in the 1897 expedition. The walls of Benin Kingdom compared to the Great Wall of China is arguably a much grander project and strongly reflects the collective will of a people. The structure upon completion comprised of moats and ramparts, covered a border distance of about 16,000 kilometres, the 16,000 sq. Benin's stolen heritage. Beyond the city walls, numerous further walls … Connah says, "[Pereira] considered that a bank of earth was not a wall in the sense of the Europe of his day."[5]. Outside the wall was a deep ditch as deep and wide as the wall. Work first began around 800 AD and continued up until around 1460. The roofs of the palace have pointed turrets and on top of each turret there is a copper bird without spread wings. The new official length of 21,196 kilometres was announced on June 5th 2012, after the discovery of the Walls of Benin displaced the Great Wall of China, under its old measurements. The Benin wall sharply defined boundaries, restricted access to the kingdom especially the capital Benin City and provided security. The walls of Benin City and … The rampart varied in size, from shallow traces to as high as 66 feet. Benin City Map Print, Benin City Street Map Poster, Nigeria, Modern Minimalist Map, Office Wall Art, Housewarming Birthday Gift | MW413 RobinStudioShop 5 out of 5 stars (229) Queen Idia (Oba Esigie mother) is the first Oba’s mother to be alive to see her son becoming an Oba. [10], Ethnomathematician Ron Eglash has discussed the planned layout of the city using fractals as the basis, not only in the city itself and the villages but even in the rooms of houses. Benin was one of the first ancient cities to have some kind of street light. Benin City was the principal city of the Edo (Bini) kingdom of Benin (flourished 13th–19th century). The very high walls were a nightmare to scale through. The Benin wall sharply defined boundaries, restricted access to the kingdom especially the capital Benin City and provided security. The city was set ablaze, although it has been claimed that this was accidental. He is beautifully dressed with all sorts of royal ornaments. This was a privilege only afforded to an Oba. On 18 February Benin City was captured by the expedition. Constructed from around 800 to around 1400 AD, The Walls Of Benin were a series of earthworks made up of moats and ramparts known as “Iya” in the Edo language in the area around present-day Benin City, the capital of present-day Edo state in Nigeria. In the late 13th century Oba Oguola (1274-1287) completed the first and second moats and ordered the construction of 20 more moats around essential towns and villages; during this period the kingdom was near its peak and was engaged in many wars. The wall became the main attraction for tourists, and its popularity was further magnified by the travelogues of the later 19th century. All Rights Reserved. The Walls of Benin, one of Africa’s ancient architectural marvels, were destroyed by the British in 1897 during what has become known as the Punitive Expedition. It covered a border distance of 16,000km. They consist of 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) of city iya and an estimated 16,000 kilometres (9,900 miles) in … In Benin, capital city of present day Edo State stood the walls of Benin (800 – 1400AD) which are the longest ancient earthworks in the world and apparently the largest man-made structure on earth. © 2020, Think Africa. Its exhibition will house West African art and artifacts of both historic and contemporary interest.. King Zheng of Qin conquered the other states, became the first emperor of China and was referred to as Emperor Quin Shin Huang. The Benin Empire was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in west Africa, dating back to the 11th century. Pereira's account of the walls is as follows: This city is about a league long from gate to gate; it has no wall but is surrounded by a large moat, very wide and deep, which suffices for its defence. The Edo people had an unwavering focus; generations after generations worked on steadily for over 500 years and were goal oriented until the project was completed. It had a mighty thatched gate that was guarded by many soldiers and any traveller passing through this gate must identify himself before being let through. Ewuare also rebuilt the capital (present-day Benin City), endowing it with great walls and moats. Excavations and fieldwork in and around Benin City in the years 1961–4 have established the outlines of an archaeological sequence. The walls of Benin City is a cluster of community earthworks, with city walls, moats, and ditches that surrounded the city. This was at a time when London was a city awash with thievery, murder, prostitution, Bribery and a thriving black market. Walls of Benin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Walls of Benin were a combination of ramparts and moats, called Iya in the local language, used as a defense of the historical Benin City, formerly of the now defunct Kingdom of Benin and now the capital of the present-day Edo State of Nigeria. The Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) will be situated next to Oba’s Palace in the Benin City of Nigeria. Initially, they thought it was disorganized and the streets were very broad and ran straight as further as the eye can see. Houses and streets were highly organized in a mathematical pattern unknown to Europeans at the time. The Great Wall of China in 2010 attracted an approximate 24 million people and generated about $3 billion in revenues. The Dutch writer Olfert Dapper wrote the following in Dutch, translated into English, collected the accounts of merchants who had seen Benin: “Benin City is at least four miles wide. Traditionally called Iya, the Benin moat is one of the largest man-made earthworks. The court is divided into many palaces with separate houses and apartments for courtiers. “Interesting facts about the Great Walls of Benin”. Stretching seemingly endlessly across the land, the Benin Moat the world’s second longest man-made construction, falling short of only the Great Wall … This sequence is based on radiocarbon dates for stratified deposits, on a statistical examination of pottery form and decoration, and on datable European imports. Around 1500, the Portuguese explorer Duarte Pacheco Pereira, briefly described the walls during his travels. The walls are a set of earthworks comprising of banks and ditches called Iya in the native tongue. Benin city was enclosed by massive walls and deep ditches or moats, and beyond the city walls, there were other numerous walls, moats, and ramparts that separate its surroundings into about 5oo settlements. Fixed to these pillars are shining metal plaques showing battle scenes and deeds of courage. They consist of 15 km (9.3 mi) of city iya and an estimated 16,000 kilometres (9,900 miles) of rural iya in the area around Benin. The people are very friendly and there seems to be no stealing. Philip Effiong. According to Connah, oral tradition and travelers' accounts suggest a construction date of 1450-1500 CE. It was heavily guarded round the clock and shut at night. This is because unlike the walls of China, the Great walls of Benin were started with a clear intention and goal from the onset. Learn how your comment data is processed. The city has wide, straight roads, lined by houses. [2] Some estimates suggest that the walls of Benin may have been constructed between the thirteenth and mid-fifteenth century CE[3] and others suggest that the walls of Benin (in the Esan region) may have been constructed during the first millennium CE. It is large and square and surrounded by a wall. Construction started on the Walls of Benin in 800 AD, now situated in modern day Benin City, capital of Edo State, and continued into the mid-1400s. The ramparts ranged in size from shallow traces to gigantic 20-meter-high (66 feet) around Benin City. The heart of Benin city – the capital that housed very important abodes like the Royal Palace and chiefs houses – were enclosed by an inner wall about 10 kilometres long, that was as high and wide as a two-story building.