The Ọba Palace and Some Notable Residents in Benin Kingdom

In this video, Mr Aiko mentions all the palaces that have existed in Benin Kingdom before the present Ọba Palace was built by Ọba Ẹwẹdo, including the Uzama palaces and residences of the Uzama N’Ibiẹ chiefs, in addition to palaces like Ẹguaẹ-Edaikẹn and Usama that are occasionally used. These palaces are left to deteriorate until there is occasion for their re-use, for instance during coronation ceremonies. Like the Ogiso palaces, these ancient palaces have gone into disuse: the Ogo N’Ẹrriẹ, the Uhunmwun-Idunmwun at Third East Circular Road and Old Western at Second East Circular Road. The current Ọba Palace at Adesogbe covers an area of about 700 × 500 ft (or 3,500,000 square feet). It contains 201 chambers and three large chambers/courts for the different palace societies. It is said to be about ten times smaller than the palace that existed before the British invasion of 1897. Ọba Ẹwẹka II had to reduce it to the current size because the colonial masters had taken over a substantial portion of the land to build colonial offices (the residents and clerks offices), a European cemetery (presently located between the Central Hospital, Edo State House of Assembly and Ọba Akẹnzua II Cultural Centre). Ọba Ẹwẹka II started the rebuilding of the palace the day he was installed as Ọba of Benin in 1914, and it was completed in 1917.