Featured Place: Fondom of Bafut

Situated in the North West province of Cameroon, the Bafut Palace has been the heart of political power for the Fon and the greater Bafut kingdom for over 400 years.  With over 50 buildings maintained by the tribe’s artisans, the title of crown jewel is held by the central Achum Shrine, which is constructed entirely out of carved wood and bamboo.  Only the Fon, Abumbi II, and select members of the royal family are permitted entrance to the shrine, while traditional ceremonies and festivals are held in the facing square.

(source: John Koenig, All Rights Reserved)

Some vestiges of German colonialism remain in the Bafut Palace compound, including a peripherally situated mansion that now serves as a guest house and permanent museum home to relics and historical pieces from the Bafut reign. 

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In the early 20th century, a terrible fire set by the Germans during the Bafut wars ripped through the royal compound, consuming the central shrine and surrounding buildings. Though the shrine was rebuilt by 1910, it took until 2007 for the reconstruction and renovation of these structures to be fully realized, thanks to generous preservation assistance by the World Monument Fund. 

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(source: John Koenig, All Rights Reserved)

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