A tourist looks at bronze art pieces on display for sale in a shop on Igun Street, in Benin City on November 10, 2025. Benin City has been known for centuries as the center of artisanal bronze and brass craftsmanship, the most famous emblems of which are the "Benin Bronzes," works of art that once adorned the royal palace and were looted in 1897 by the British army during a punitive expedition that resulted in the city's sacking. These works have been dispersed among various Western museums—notably the British Museum—and symbolize the struggle for the restitution to their countries of origin of art objects stolen during the colonial period. Several institutions, including German, Dutch, and Scottish ones, have already returned the "Benin Bronzes" from their collections to Nigeria. (Photo by TOYIN ADEDOKUN / AFP)

python-temple-ouidah_benin

benin