The red brick palace of the king inherited 72 wives from his father

Bafut Palace in northwest Cameroon consists of 50 buildings built from red bricks, and is the king's residence with nearly 100 wives, hundreds of children.

Bafut town in northwest Cameroon is one of the two remaining regions in Cameroon still under the reign of the king, according to the traditional power structure. The Bafut people came from the northern part of Lake Chad and took control of the region about 400 years ago. When they arrived, they built a palace for the king, where there were still the tombs of the first three Bafut kings. After that, the palace was moved to its current location. This work has attracted many visitors from all over the world.

In the middle of a sacred forest in the town center, Bafut Palace consists of more than 50 buildings built around the Achum temple . The houses were used as dynasties and residence for nearly 100 wives of the king.

They are not all wives of the reigning king, a large part of the previous king's wife. According to local tradition, when the king died, his heir would inherit all his wives and children. That means the king will marry his stepmother, and his half-brothers and sisters will become his children. The current king is the 11th generation, inheriting 72 wives and 500 children from his father.

Initially, the palace was built from bamboo and reed. After the Germans occupied the town at the end of the 19th century and destroyed it, the buildings were rebuilt with red bricks. Only Achum Temple is made from wood, bamboo and roofing, and there is a sacred object inside. This is a typical example of the traditional religious architecture of Bafut people.

No one but the king and his courtiers was allowed to enter the Achum temple. In front of the palace there were many rocks that marked the burial area of ​​nobles who had died when serving the king. In addition, the complex also has Takombang building, where the king's festival drum is kept.

This palace is in the list of 100 World Heritage Fund's most endangered works.