World bows down to Benin’s 30-metre queen

Arthur Greene

Benin has honoured one of its former monarchs, Queen Tassi Hangbe, with a 30-metre tall bronze sculpture to watch over its shores.

It is believed that Queen Tassi rose to the Dahomey throne in modern-day Benin in c.1708 after the death of her twin brother, King Akaba.

She is thought to have only reigned for a few years but by the time it ended, she had cemented a fearsome legacy.

Some believe that she formed the Dahomey Amazons, an all-female military unit which existed for almost 200 years.

Image source: @AfricaFactsZone