FORT PORTUGAIS (FUTURE MIME)

Several forts were built between the ^17th and ^18th centuries, including the English fort William in 1682 and the French fort Saint-Louis-de-Grégory, built in 1704 from an earlier settlement probably founded in 1671. Like the Danish and Dutch forts, both have now disappeared. The French fort was razed in 1908. Today's PTT buildings, the pharmacy and Ouidah hospital were erected on its site. A model of the fort can still be seen in the town's history museum.

Fort São João Baptista de Ajuda was built in 1721 by a Bahia-born naval captain, Joseph de Torres. Over the years, it lost its military character, but remained under Portuguese sovereignty after the annexation of Dahomey by France in 1892, and even after Dahomey gained independence in 1960. It was not until 1961 that this anachronism came to an end, much to the annoyance of the Portuguese, who set fire to the building before leaving. The carcass of a car inside the fort bears witness to this diplomatic incident.

The trapezoidal Portuguese fort covers an area of almost one hectare. In addition to administrative and military outbuildings, it housed kitchens, a bread oven, a henhouse and an orchard, ensuring virtual self-sufficiency. Opened in 1967, the fort's museum retraced the history of Ouidah and the slave trade. It closed its doors for a major renovation and the installation of a new museum. For the time being, most of the exhibits have been transferred to the Maison de la Mémoire.

At the end of 2024, the Musée international de la mémoire et de l'esclavage (Mime) will take its place behind the walls. This is one of the many projects underway as part of the colossal heritage enhancement project. The 662 m² space will house a permanent exhibition evoking the relationship between Africa and Europe prior to the slave trade, followed by the spiral of the slave trade and, finally, the struggle for freedom. The aim is to "think the journey from the African point of view". Visitors will be able to see original objects and reconstructed rooms, as well as a number of immersive audiovisual aids. For example, they will be able to follow the exodus of Cujo Lewis, one of the last survivors of the slave trade, who had to board the Clotilda, the last slave ship to leave Ouidah in Alabama, USA, in 1860.