Monuments to visit Lomé And The Maritime Region

You have to go there early in the morning. The fishermen arrive with their pirogues and sell directly the product of fishing to the mothers who then resell on the markets. Typical and colorful. It is advisable to go there by car or cab because the access is not easy and the neighborhoods crossed are not the safest. Dugouts unloading on the quay, nets being made and unmade, baskets filled with fish... the place is alive with exchanges between fishermen, buyers, visitors and food stalls.

Belonging to an English merchant and slave trader by the name of Wood, this house was built in 1835, shortly after a fraction of the Adjigo clan, driven out of Aného and led by Chief Assiakoley, settled in Agbodrafo. The slave trade on Togo's coasts lasted from the last quarter of the ^17th century to the ^19th century. It officially ended on January 27, 1852, when an emissary from the Crown of England visited the king bearing a message and a cane symbolizing the end of slavery: "Sent by the Queen of England as a symbol of the abolition of the slave trade to the chief of Porto Seguro". Rediscovered, the Maison des Esclaves received Unesco support for its renovation, and has been on Togo's list of World Heritage Sites since 2002. The Afro-Brazilian-style building has remained virtually untouched since that time, and is now falling into disuse. Here you can discover the underground labyrinth through which slaves used to enter the house. In the central room of the house, the trapdoor provides access to the basement where the prisoners were crammed. You have to go down under the dilapidated floor to realize the inhuman treatment inflicted on the slaves. In this damp cellar, they were unable to stand up, and had to sit or lie down. Some period furniture still decorates the living room. A place full of history. The visit may disappoint some, but it's all in the symbolism.

Called Sacred Heart, or German cathedral, the cathedral of Lomé was built in 1905. Its architecture is of Gothic style with an ogival shape. It has a basilica plan, consisting of a nave of seven bays covered with a groin vault. It has undergone numerous restorations over the years. It stands in the center of the city with its elaborate spires, its façade pierced by a rose window and its beautifully painted interior. Its carved wooden benches and its frescoes make it an element of the colonial heritage of Togo. It adjoins the Grand Marché.

Below the cathedral, on the lake is the pier built in 1985, on the occasion of the visit to Togo of Pope John Paul II. Those arriving by inland waterway will take this step to fouler the land of Togoville, under the watchful eyes of fishermen.

It is essentially a tourist market with small stores selling local handicrafts such as jewelry, paintings, ebony, carved wood and batiks. The merchants call out to visitors and negotiation is part of the buying process. Handicrafts and replicas of antiques are of high quality, especially if you cross the "rue des arts", which is located in the street of the Hotel du Golf. This is where you will find your gifts to make and other souvenirs to bring back. To be discovered without hesitation!

One should not expect a sumptuous palace, it is a simple residence in the heart of the Galapè district. When the king is present, it is possible to meet him. Otherwise, his descendants organize a short guided tour during which they tell the story of King Mlapa III, who signed the treaty annexing Togo to Germany with the explorer Nachtigal. The house houses the royal throne on which the king's descendant still administers justice every Saturday morning. In the courtyard are the remains of a German cannon.

Long abandoned, the former Governors' Palace has been transformed into a cultural complex showcasing the best of African creativity. A pioneer in West Africa, this art and culture center offers a rich program of exhibitions, live shows (dance, storytelling, theater, concerts...), master classes and literary cafés. It also houses two restaurants, one of which is gourmet, a souvenir store and a bookstore.

The palace is surrounded by a magnificent botanical garden of 11 hectares, home to about 50,000 plants and 40 species of birds. It offers a pleasant journey through the diverse landscapes of Togo, punctuated by beautiful contemporary sculptures. There are also two beehives, containing two types of bees: Apis mellifera adansonii and melipona.

The old Governor's Palace was built from 1898 to 1905 under the technical direction of the German engineer Furtkamp, following the decision of Governor August Kohler - the one who established Lomé as the capital of Togo - to build a fairly representative palace that would be recognizable from a distance of a thousand kilometers in order to impress the ships. Used as the seat of the state until 1970, the palace was transformed into the "Palace of Distinguished Guests" from 1976 to 1991, then as the seat of the primacy in September 1991. It suffered damage as a result of the socio-political unrest of 1990-1991. The building is on the list of monuments proposed to the World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

To get to the Well of the Chained Ones (Gatovoudo), one passes in front of the cemetery, following a dirt road. The well dates from the 1800s and is enclosed by a low wall. In the middle of the tomato fields, a plaque indicates the visit of the Director General of UNESCO in 2007. It is more a symbolic place than a place to visit, the interest being very limited and the place not maintained. It is here that slaves used to wash for the last time in order to remove their "impurities" before being loaded onto ships bound for the colonies.