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What architectural features characterized the palace of the oba of Benin City?
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African architecture
The Great Zimbabwe complex, near Masvingo, south-central Zimbabwe.
The palace of the oba (king) in Benin City was a vast, complex structure that, during the 16th and 17th centuries, was comparable in size to a European town.1
Architectural features of the palace included:
- Courtyards and Buildings: The palace consisted of numerous courts surrounded by galleried buildings.1
- Bronze Embellishments: A defining feature of the palace architecture was the use of bronze plaques, which were used to encase the pillars of the buildings. These plaques often depicted ceremonial life in the court and significant historical events.12
- Roofing and Towers: The palace featured shingled roofs and was distinguished by numerous high towers, which were topped with bronze birds.1
- Ancestral Altars: Inside the palace, new obas installed semicircular mud platforms dedicated to their predecessors. These altars were adorned with brass altar heads, tableaus, and other ceremonial objects used in religious observances.3
The palace served as the center of the kingdom's political and spiritual life until it was burned by the British in 1897.41