Discover · History · Ouidah, Benin
An entirely female regiment, feared on the battlefields of the kingdom of Dahomey for nearly two centuries, until the colonial conquest.
Based in Abomey, the historic capital of the kingdom of Dahomey, the Agojié, whom Europeans called the Amazons, formed an elite corps exclusively made of women in the direct service of the king. Their training, discipline and battlefield reputation made them one of the most singular military forces in African history.
The Agojié corps existed from the 17th century until the Franco-Dahomean war of 1892, which marked the fall of the kingdom to French colonization. Their history, long poorly documented outside Benin, has recently seen a surge of international interest, notably driven by cinema.
Understanding the Agojié means understanding part of what the kingdom of Dahomey represented before colonization: a structured political and military organization, with which Ouidah, then the kingdom's main port, had direct ties. Our guides connect this chapter to the larger history told in Ouidah and Abomey.
Visit duration
Historical context included in Abomey circuits
Access
Abomey, about 1h30 by road from Ouidah.
Coordinates
7.1833, 1.9911
Our certified Vodun guides open the meaning behind every sacred site of Ouidah. What you will see, and what we will help you understand.