SHARE:
PARIS, FRANCE—In a ceremony in Paris, the government of France handed over 26 artifacts, including the doors of the Palace of Abomey, royal thrones, and warrior dance staffs, to Patrice Talon, president of Benin, according to a CNN report. The artifacts, taken by French colonial soldiers in 1892, will be housed in a museum in the city of Ouidah until the completion of a new museum in Abomey, the home of the kings of Dahomey between 1600 and 1900. “This return is testimony to what we have been, a testimony that we existed before, a testimony to what we have known,” Talon said. Benin is seeking the return of some 5,000 artifacts from France. For more on the history of Benin, go to "Off the Grid: Ouidah, Benin."
