EPA - Landscapes and Heritage Department

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Departments > Landscapes and Heritage

Achievements
• Heritage Education: Exhibition at the French Cultural Center of Cotonou «Porto-Novo, une ville des patrimoines» (June-July 04) In collaboration with the French Cultural Center
• Providing of services: Project on the Sustainable management of Heritage to fight against poverty (2003-2004)
• Adviser at the Ministry of Environment, Habitat and Urban Planning for the project on the building of the National Assembly of Benin (2003-2004)
• Adviser at the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Crafts and Tourism for the inclusion of the Benin Slave Route on the UNESCO World Heritage List, 2004
Studies: • Mission of consultation and research on Old Accra, 2005
• Sustainable management of cultural heritage project for the struggle against poverty (2003-2004)
• Inventory and Cultural Tourism on the Slave Route (2001-2004)
• Study on the rehabilitation of the Historic Heritage of Porto-Novo (2001-2003)
• Feasability study for the creation of the Maison du Patrimoine (House of Heritage) in Porto-Novo, 2006.
• Technical studies for the rehabilitation of three houses listed on the heritage list of Porto-Novo: Migan, Pinhero, Latoundji houses, 2006.
• Workshop and school-building site on the Migan building, 2007

Background:
The first work carried out by EPA in the framework of immovable heritage goes back to the rehabilitation of the Royal Palaces of Abomey, started in 1992 with the Abomey 1 programme and finished in 2000 with Abomey 3.
But it is really in 2002, with the Study on the rehabilitation of the historic heritage of Porto-Novo, asked by the Beninese Government and the World Bank, that the idea of a department dedicated to immovable heritage evolved. Consultations started, inspired by the work carried out and gave birth to the "Landscapes and heritage" Department in 2003. The objectives, missions and achievements of the department are described below.

Objective:
Develop a center of expertise specialising in the historic and cultural heritage of African towns and landscapes.

Missions		Target audiences
- Training		Technicians: urban management professionals, urban planners, architects, ingeniors, in charge of public work, town development… In other words, those who create the town, but who are not necessarily sensitive to heritage because they do not have the adequate training.
- Education to heritage		Civil Society: youths, school children, associations…
- Providing of services and advising		Institutions: Governments, towns, individuals in some instances, associations, organisations…
- Research / Publishing		All

A special activity:
The department is the referrer to the Africa 2009 Programme, in partnership with ICCROM and UNESCO' World Heritage Centre.

2008 team:
- Alain Godonou, heritage curator, coordinator;
- Victoire Adégbidi, mediator, deputy coordinator;
- Fakambi Bankolé, architect-urban planner, mission leader;
- Alex Bokossa, mission leader.

Contact :
Pôle Territoires et Patrimoines
Ecole du Patrimoine Africain
01 BP 2205
Porto-Novo
BENIN
Tél. (+229) 20 21 28 64