I found myself in Uromi, Edo State a few weeks ago, I attended a burial ceremony (Rest In Peace grandma Eigbefoh) which lasted four days, it seemed like the best idea to go sight seeing in Benin City. My journey was filled with so much drama and fretting, firstly, we experienced serious road traffic congestion and while we were wondering the cause of the traffic we saw a large crowd running towards us, everyone except me in the cab I boarded got down and started running too. You see I try not to fret when I am in a tight spot because if I have learnt anything from being a Nigerian, it's the fact that tragedies rarely kill people, it's the whole fretting and fear of the tragedy that kills (okay so maybe I learnt that from watching all five series of final destination, heh!) Anyways I calmly sat down alone in the cab (I was snapchatting, heh!) after a while people started to troop back and it was then I discovered that two(2) fuel tankers collided and it was the fear of an explosion that made them run! (chai Nigerians too dey fear!).
Two(2) hours later our cab was finally back on the move, we were finally on our way to Benin. It was already too late and I had gone through all the stages of fear, I was finally at the stage of acceptance, while we were waiting for the tankers to be moved i wanted to get a bus back to Uromi and plan the trip for another day but we were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by bushes, my only option was to get to Benin and get a bus right back to Uromi. The driver saw how worried i was and after making me explain, he offered his help. You see my plan was to go to the National Museum to see all the beautiful art works Benin is known for, though that was not my initial plan, my original plan was to go and greet the Oba of Benin ('Oba gha t’okpere ise!') and take a tour round his palace during which we will fall in love and get married and i will become the youngest Queen of Benin (heheh!) but i was told that i had to book an appointment and since there was no time to do that i had to settle for the National Museum. Anyways to cut my very long story short, I ended up doing a lot more than i planned all in an hour, Here is how i spent a random day in Benin City! Enjoy! 😂
The people of Benin basically live and eat with crocs, be ready to see a crocodile crossing the road with you! Here is a picture of a random crocodile eating his breakfast 'Mr Fish', Bon appetit! (OK! so i am obviously kidding, heh! if it was real i am sure i would not be standing this close to it!)
This looks a lot like the remains of an ancient wall in Rome. I asked my cab man cum tour-guard cum new best-friend what it meant but even he did not know and there was no sign board or poster to explain it's significance but anyways it was significantly useful for a lot of selfies (heh!) because really 'When in Rome'! 😃
Here is the man-made water fall everyone in Benin is crazy about! According to my tour guard, it was built by Guinness and apparently former Gov. Adams Oshiomole maintained it because some kind of shrine was built for him. Unfortunately, they only turn it on from 6pm-ish, so if you want to see the beauty, go late (you are welcome!) You can check online to see what it looks like turned on, it's really beautiful.
Ladies and Gentlemen! I have good news! I ended up in the Oba of Benin's palace!! Ah! i was so excited! You see the palace has stood in the same location for at least 700 years! Though the size has expanded over the years. According to Edoworld.net, "it is regarded as one of the greatest museums in the world because it still holds a large collection of royal court arts, scriptural pieces of past Obas in bronze and ivory and ancestral shrines." The palace is mostly visited by Curators, Historians and Archaeologist from all over the world. In 1999, it was declared a UNESCO heritage site. It is a must see on the list of tourists visiting Benin and only when you visit it yourself will you know why. Though i did not have time to take a tour and i did not spend up to 15 minutes there, it was still the most memorable part of my trip to Benin City.
The palace is really guarded but i entered it without being questioned or stopped, i started to feel like the Oba was expecting me. My suspicion grew stronger when i saw a large crowd dancing and singing, at this point my heart started to beat faster because i was like 'OMG, maybe the Isekhure (that's the chief priest) saw me coming years ago and proclaimed that the Oba had to marry and make me a Queen immediately!' But as i got closer it turned out they were not welcoming me, they did this particular celebration on their market days as part of the just concluded coronation ceremony (by the way, they just concluded the coronation ceremony of the 40th Oba of Benin, His Royal Crown Prince, <AMB> Eheneden Erediauwa <Edaiken Uselu>) Oba gha t’okpere, ise! I joined the festivities, i danced and sang with them, it felt good to finally showcase my knowledge of Benin Dance and songs! heh! A Queen or a princess (it's hard to differentiate because she had a lot of beads on) smiled at me when she saw me singing and dancing, i felt good, i did not want to leave, my tour guard had to literally drag me out.
I saw some chiefs but unfortunately i did not see the Oba. A lady in the crowd told me he does not come out every time during the celebration but that he joined the celebration on the last market day. She advised me to come in two days which was on a Sunday if i wanted to see the Oba, unfortunately i had to travel back that day.😞 But so long my King! i will see you soon, maybe not as your Queen but as Your daughter in-law! 😅
Next, i went to Edo State Council for Arts and Culture, Edo State Gallery, Headquarters. I breezed in and breezed out, it was lovely! Check out some of the art works below...
Finally, it was time to return to Uromi but before i did, i had to check out an ancient church (some people say it is the oldest church in Nigeria) called, 'The Holy Aruosa Cathedral' popularly called the 'Church of Benin' which was founded over 500 years ago (over five centuries!). The Holy Aruosa Cathedral is to the Bini people what the Church of England is to the English people. The Oba of Benin is the General overseer/spiritual head. There is actually a folklore surrounding this church, you can read more about it here Folklore. The Portuguese brought Christianity into Benin kingdom and you can see their influence even in the architectural design of the church. According to my tour guard, people come from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the Oba in church every Sunday.
Tips:-
*I visited these places in an hour or less because they are within walking distance to each other.
* Find your way to the heart of Benin City, the rest is easy, just ask someone, they will point it out, it is that easy.
* If you wish to visit other sites in Benin City/Edo State, check this website for details edoworld.
* Go early so you can enjoy it all but make sure to save the waterfall for last so you can be there when it gets turned on.
*Hold enough Money so you do not get stranded.
*Though Bini people are Good people, it is better to be security conscious when you are in/on unfamiliar territory. (My mum was getting ready to alert policemen when i still wasn't back by 8pm, heh! It wasn't my fault really, i did not plan on getting lost which i did on my way back to uromi but that is another story for another day! 😁)
If you have been to Benin City, tell me all about it below! If you are planning a trip to Benin City, would love to hear about it below! Don't forget to share by clicking any of the social media links below! or better still just copy and paste! 😄 And Lastly, Happy Holidays guys! 😃😃😃
This post is dedicated to the Oba of Benin ('Oba gha t’okpere, ise!) and Grandma Lucy Eigbefoh (May her soul rest in peace)
