THE FIRST BOX OF BONDOUKOU

Built by a certain Taki Adré, it is considered the "heart" of the Zanzan capital and, to access it, one must go to the king of the Gbins, currently Kouassi Yao Dabila, whose court is located not far from the building. Next to the hut is the tomb of the second king of the Gbins, the founding people of the city, who performs the ritual of the "dagafiago" or "fire cult" marking the local New Year, followed by prayers, offerings and libations. Among its original attributes, the house retains its roof, which has already been restored several times, as well as the walls of a circular wall that receive layers of white kaolin from time to time. However, for a better preservation of this part of history, the authorities would benefit from erecting a fence around the hut, because stray animals and/or people seeking shade have easy access to it and damage the roof, which is too low, or deteriorate the wall, whose kaolin is easily removed. The descendants of Taki Adré open the hut once a year to take care of the maintenance work before the celebration of the Fiago (bush fire) where the local populations proceed to sacrifices (chicken, goat, sheep) in order to implore the ancestors' masks. It is therefore not possible to visit the interior, which is considered a sacred place. Only men married according to local tradition have the right to access it. A traditional animist culture little known in Côte d'Ivoire.