While
medieval Europe was dealing with feudalism, barbarian invasions, and
the plague, the African kingdom of Benin boasted a magnificent city with
straight roads, record-breaking fortifications, and even street lamps.
The streets, houses, and villages were laid out in a planned fractal
design, which went over the heads of visiting Europeans. Benin City, in
what is now Nigeria, was a sight to behold.
When
the Portuguese first “discovered” the city in 1485, they were stunned to
find this vast kingdom made of hundreds of interlocked cities and
villages in the middle of the African jungle. They called it the “Great
City of Benin”, at a time when there were hardly any other places in
Africa the Europeans acknowledged as a city. Indeed, they classified
Benin City as one of the most beautiful and best planned cities in the
world.
In 1691, the Portuguese ship captain Lourenco Pinto
observed: “Great Benin, where the king resides, is larger than Lisbon;
all the streets run straight and as far as the eye can see. The houses
are large, especially that of the king, which is richly decorated and
has fine columns. The city is wealthy and industrious. It is so well
governed that theft is unknown and the people live in such security that
they have no doors to their houses.”
But the city is no more. It was totally destroyed, and the few vestiges left are mostly ignored. Read
the story of Benin City at The Guardian.
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