Benin is a former French colony in West Africa. It’s bordered by Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Niger but also has a small coast line of its own. DUring the 17th to the 19th century, the area now called Benin was ruled by the Kingdom of Dahomey and was often referred to as the Slave Coast.

Wikipedia says that about 27% of the population are Christian, 25% Muslim and 17% Vodun. Vodun is a common religion in West Africa and is quite different from the Voodoo of Louisiana or even Haitain Vodou. The latter religions are syncretized with Christianity and the old religions of Congo and Angola.

This year the Italian photographer Anthony Pappone shared dozens of photographs of his trip to Benin to photograph Vodun. You can follow his Flickr group for a wider collection of pictures and to keep in touch with this talent.

In Pure Spirit

Would you want to holiday in Benin, spend time photographing the local customs and traditions or does this seem all too strange to be close to?