Culture & HeritageAncient SiteUNESCO Tentative List

Benin City Earthworks

Benin City, Edo State · South South

Photograph: Tomiak, Michael · CC BY 4.0 · source

The surviving ramparts and ditches that once enclosed the capital of the Benin Kingdom.

Why it matters

The Benin iya — earth ramparts and ditches that enclosed the historic Benin Kingdom's capital and its surrounding settlements.

History

The Benin earthworks, known locally as Iya, are a network of banks and ditches built around Benin City and its surrounding settlements. Sections survive within the modern city, and the site appears on Nigeria's UNESCO tentative list.

Cultural significance

The earthworks are the physical outline of the Benin Kingdom's urban planning and remain part of the city's identity.

Local stories and traditions

Historical accounts credit successive Obas with extending the wall system, which European visitors described from the fifteenth century onwards.

What visitors can experience

Surviving moat sections in the city
Benin royal quarter
National Museum Benin City

Travel guidance

Responsible travel

Sections run through occupied neighbourhoods — respect residents' privacy and do not dig or remove material.

Visitors should follow local guidance and community protocols. Do not enter restricted sacred areas, remove artefacts, disturb wildlife or damage archaeological remains.