Ouidah, Benin Ancient City | Slave Trade History & Voodoo Culture

Ouidah in Benin can be described as a large-scale history museum, with numerous historical relics distributed throughout the city, detailing the history of the slave trade during the colonial era and the local traditional Voodoo culture. ◆ Ouidah History Museum (Musée d'Histoire de Ouidah, Figures 2-4): Originally a fortress built by Portuguese colonizers, the museum displays a large number of historical artifacts from the slave trade period. The square at the entrance was once a slave market and is also the starting point of the famous "Slave Route." ◆ "Door of No Return" and "Door of Return" (Figure 5): Standing at the original slave transit dock by the sea, these mark the end of the "Slave Route." The Door of No Return symbolizes that slaves "once passing through this door, never return," while the Door of Return symbolizes "the souls of slaves returning to their homeland." ◆ Python Temple (Temple du Python, Figures 6-7): In the local Voodoo tradition, pythons are considered sacred animals and messengers of peace and wisdom. The temple houses dozens of pythons, which are non-venomous and have had their teeth removed. Visitors can have pythons wrapped around their necks for photos. ◆ Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (L'Immaculée Conception, Figures 8-9): Built during the French Dahomey period, it marks the official establishment of Catholicism on this land devoted to Voodoo, signifying that colonial rule had established a stable government here. ◆ In Ouidah Ancient City, there are also several small museums and art galleries scattered around, and Voodoo sculptures can be seen everywhere along the streets (Figures 10-12). Here, visitors can deeply experience the rich historical heritage and the unique atmosphere of cultural fusion.