Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, southern Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano, and Ibadan. It is situated approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of the Benin River and 320 kilometres (200 mi) by road east of Lagos. Benin City is the centre of Nigeria's rubber industry, and oil production is also a significant industry.
Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, also called Overami, was the thiry-fifth Ọba of the Kingdom of Benin reigning from c. 1888 AD – c. 1897 AD, up until the British punitive expedition.
Ozolua, originally known as Prince Okpame, was the fifteenth Oba of the Kingdom of Benin who reigned from c. 1483 AD – c. 1504 AD. He greatly expanded the Kingdom through warfare and increased contact with the Portuguese Empire, and was later called Ozolua n'Ibaromi, meaning Ozolua the Conqueror in Edo. He was an important Oba in the history of the Kingdom of Benin and retains importance in the folklore and celebrations of the region.
Ewuare, originally known as Prince Ogun, was the twelfth Oba of the Benin Empire from 1440 until 1473. Ewuare became king in a violent coup against his brother Uwaifiokun which destroyed much of Benin City. After the war, Ewuare rebuilt much of the city of Benin, reformed political structures in the kingdom, greatly expanded the territory of the kingdom, and fostered the arts and festivals. He left a significant legacy and is often considered the first King of the Kingdom of Benin.
Esigie, originally known as Osawe, was the son of Oba Ozolua, who reigned in the late 15th century, and his second wife, Queen Idia. He was the sixteenth Oba who ruled the ancient Benin Kingdom, now Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria from c. 1504 – c. 1550. Works of art commissioned by Esigie are held in prominent museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum.
Benin art is the art from the Kingdom of Benin or Edo Empire (1440–1897), a pre-colonial African state located in what is now known as the Southern region of Nigeria. Primarily made of cast bronze and carved ivory, Benin art was produced mainly for the court of the Oba of Benin – a divine ruler for whom the craftsmen produced a range of ceremonially significant objects. The full complexity of these works can be appreciated through the awareness and consideration of two complementary cultural perceptions of the art of Benin: the Western appreciation of them primarily as works of art, and their understanding in Benin as historical documents and as mnemonic devices to reconstruct history, or as ritual objects. This original significance is of great importance in Benin.
The Edopeople, sometimes referred to as the Bendel people, are an Edo-speaking ethnic group. The Edo who predominantly reside in 7 southern local government areas of the State of Edo, Nigeria are known as 'Benin'. They are speakers of the Edo language and are the descendants of the founders of the Benin Kingdom Ogiso Igodo. They are closely related to other southern Nigerian tribes, such as the Esan, the Etsakọ, the Isoko, and the Urhobo.
The Kingdom of Benin, also known as the Edo Kingdom, Benin Kingdom or the Benin Empire, was a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria. The Benin Kingdom was "one of the oldest and most developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa". It grew out of the previous Edo Kingdom of Igodomigodo around the 11th century AD, and lasted until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897.
Igodomigodo is the original name of the Benin Empire used by its own inhabitants.
Ọmọ n'Ọba n'Ẹdo Uku Akpọlọkpọlọ, Akenzua II was the thirty-seventh Oba of Benin reigning from 1933 until his death in 1978.
Igue festival is a celebration with its origin in the Benin Kingdom of Edo State, southern Nigeria. One tradition states that the festival date coincided with the marriage of Ewuare to a wife named Ewere. Celebrated between Christmas and New Year, the festival includes the Oba's blessing of the land and his people. During the Igue ritual season, the Oba is prohibited from being in the presence of any non-native person.
Chief Solomon Osagie Alonge (1911–1994) was a self-taught photographer and pioneer of Nigerian photography. He was the first official photographer for the royal court of Benin City, Nigeria, and a chief in the Iwebo palace society. Alonge's record of Nigerian royalty and social class is one of the most extensive and well-preserved collections from the period.
Unuamen also spelt Unuame is an ancient village community by Ovia river in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Unuame is about 15 kilometres (9 mi) from Benin City and 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Benin Airport. Unuame is one of the ancestral homes of Oba Esigie's maternal grandfather and home town to some group of Binis. The people of Unuame have remained loyal to the monarch since the establishment of the ancient Kingdom of Benin. Being a part of the Kingdom of Benin, Unuame is at the heart of the tropical rainforest in the southern part of Nigeria, way to the west of the delta of the Niger River and inland from the coast.
The Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin is notable as the home of the Oba of Benin and other royals.
Chief Agho Obaseki was a paramount Chief in the Benin Empire from 1898 to 1914, and then Iyase of Benin from 1914 until his death in 1920.
Igun Street, also known as Igun-Eronmwon Quarters, is a street situated in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. This street is renowned for being the residence of the Guild of Benin Bronze and Brass Casters, known as the Igun-Eronmwon. It holds the designation of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Notably, it stands as the second most frequented tourist attraction within Benin City. Tourists, art dealers, and collectors routinely visit Igun Street to observe the comprehensive process involved in crafting these objects.
Eweka I was a monarch in the history of the Benin Kingdom, overseeing an era during the transition from the Ogiso Dynasty to the Obaship. His 35-year reign had a notable impact on the political, cultural, and traditional aspects of the kingdom.
Akengbuda was the thirtieth Oba of Benin who reigned from c. 1750 AD – c. 1804 AD. He was the son and successor of Eresoyen, and the father of Obanosa. He is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential obas in the history of the Kingdom of Benin, as he expanded the kingdom's territory, improved its administration, and promoted its arts and culture. He also maintained a strong trade relationship with the Europeans, especially the Portuguese and the British, and acquired firearms and other goods from them. He was known for his military prowess, his diplomatic skills, and his patronage of arts and learning.
Ewedo, originally known as Prince Efabo, was the fourth Oba of the Kingdom of Benin who reigned from c. 1255 AD – c. 1280 AD. He was the only son and successor of Ehenmihen. He is credited with moving the seat of his government from Usama to the present palace site, introducing various gods and laws, and changing the name of the country from Ile or Ile-Ibinu to Ubini (Benin). He also reformed the political and administrative system of the kingdom, established a palace bureaucracy, and expanded the territory and influence of Benin.
The Battle of Ekiokpagha was a historical event that took place in 1255 AD on the Plains of Ogboka, near Benin City, between Oba Ewedo of the Benin Empire and Ogiamien III, the leader of the indigenous people of the land. The battle was a result of a power struggle between the two parties, who had different claims to the throne and the territory of Benin. The battle ended with the victory of Oba Ewedo, who established his palace at the present site, and the recognition of Ogiamien III as a chief under the monarchy. The battle and its aftermath have been reenacted in the coronation rituals of the subsequent Obas of Benin, as a symbol of the historical and traditional enmity between the Oba and the Ogiamien family.
