The city
Six centuries of bronze.
Benin City is the capital of Edo State and the historic seat of the Benin Kingdom — a court so organised that 16th-century Portuguese traders wrote home about its streets. Its brass and bronze plaques now sit in museums across Europe and America; the guild that cast them still works on Igun Street, a few minutes from this hotel.
Around 1.5 million people live here today. The language you will hear is English and Edo, and if you listen closely to the Edo, you will catch Portuguese loanwords five hundred years old.
Nearby
Worth the trip out.
≈ 4.4 km from the hotel
Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin
The seat of the Benin monarchy since the 13th century, rebuilt by Oba Eweka II between 1914 and 1932 after the British expedition of 1897. Still a living court, not a monument.
≈ 3.5 km from the hotel
Benin City National Museum
Opened in 1973 on Ring Road, at the centre of King’s Square. Terracotta, cast iron and the bronze work of the Benin Empire, displayed where it was made.
≈ 4.5 km from the hotel
Igun Street
The Igun-Eronmwon quarter, home to the hereditary Guild of Benin Bronze Casters. Seven founding families still work the lost-wax method their ancestors used six hundred years ago.
≈ 2–4 km from the hotel
The Benin Moat (Iya)
An earthwork of the 13th–15th centuries that once ringed the city — ramparts up to nine metres above a ditch. On Nigeria’s UNESCO tentative list, and a Guinness World Record holder as the largest earthworks of the pre-mechanical era.
≈ 3.5 km from the hotel
Emotan Statue
A bronze figure at Oba Ovonramwen Square honouring Emotan, the market woman who sheltered the future Oba Ewuare. The city’s most-photographed landmark.
≈ 4 km from the hotel
Ramat Park
Fifteen acres of green opened in 1985 and named for General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. Walking paths, shade and the quietest afternoon in the city.
Practical
Planning the trip.
Benin Airport (BNI) is served by Air Peace, Aero Contractors, Green Africa, United Nigeria, ValueJet and Arik Air, with frequent daily flights from Lagos and Abuja. The drive from arrivals to our door is about five minutes.
| Airport | Benin Airport (BNI) — domestic; Lagos and Abuja daily |
|---|---|
| Best months | November to March, the dry season. July to September is the wettest. |
| Climate | 25–30 °C year round, humid |
| Language | English (official) and Edo |
| Currency | Nigerian Naira (₦) |
| Not to miss | The Igue Festival — the Benin royal calendar’s high point |