BAFUT PALACE

Surrounded by a sacred forest in the heart of northwest Cameroon, the Bafut Palace has been the fulcrum of political power for over 400 years. It embodies Bafut cultural identity and remains a center for religious rites and traditional ceremonies. Over 50 houses are clustered around the site’s spiritual core, Achum Shrine, and are used by the Fon (king), his wives, and the royal court. This shrine, built of wood and bamboo and covered with thatch, houses a valued devotional object, typically referred to as a fetish, and is an impressive example of traditional religious architecture.