This site is dedicated to disseminating information about the history, arts and the people of the ancient Edo (Benin) Kingdom. Benin is one of the oldest traditional African Kingdoms in West Africa, which still exist today. 

Much of what is mostly known about Benin today is its rich arts and crafts that adorn many European and other museums around the World. During the colonial era, Europeans looted a lot of the sacred and popular arts of the Benin people. Efforts to retrieve some of these artworks continue till today. The purpose of this website is to share with the world the rich history, artistic and cultural heritage of the Benin (Edo) Kingdom and its people of Southwestern Nigeria. The King of the Edo (Benin) Kingdom is known as Oba, a term used interchangeably with “King” throughout this website. 

The Benin Kingdom must not be confused with the modern Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey), to the immediate west of Nigeria; at independence, many African leaders adopted the names of former ancient African Kingdoms and empires as the name of their present countries out of their sense of history and pride in the African past. For example, Kwame Nkrumah adopted the name “Ghana” for the former British colony called the Gold Coast, even though modern Ghana was not physically part of the famous ancient West African empire of Ghana. In the case of modern Benin Republic, however, the influence of ancient Benin Kingdom did, indeed, extend to its present physical location. The extant Benin Kingdom is in the present Edo State of Nigeria. 

Welcome aboard in exploring the wonders of ancient Benin (Edo) Kingdom which had relationships with the countries of Europe and the Americas long before European exploration and colonization of Africa.