The Rehabilitation and Conservation of the Porto-Novo Great Mosque

The African Building Heritage Project seeks to capture and document the endangered architecture from Porto-Novo and features are structures such as the Great Mosque of Porto-Novo.

Afro-Brazilian Architecture is highlighted in the deteriorating Great Mosque of Porto-Novo, Benin. Despite efforts by local leaders to transform it into a history museum, ongoing challenges hinder progress. The mosque, with broken minarets and ceilings, represents many hidden structures in a state of disrepair, fading from its former glory.

As a response, the Northeastern University has started the African Building Heritage Project, which is focused on the virtual documentation of endangered buildings in Porto-Novo. This trans-disciplinary undertaking involves the work of architects and historians as well as technological experts to build an interactive database of the region’s distinctive architectural forms.

“In the project, we do not only focus on protecting physical structures but rather the essence which entails the periphery of their existence,” explains Killion Mokwete, an architecture assistant professor and the project’s leader. With the help of drones, the team is able to carry out scans of the temples and using virtual reality, create 3-dimensional renders of the temples.

Apart from stressing that architecture is a core component of one’s culture, the project aims to rectify the European-centric histories of Africa’s built environments as well. “These structures oppose the stereotype that Africans are a people with no history,” explains Patricia Davis, an associate professor.

The exhibit will open on November 8, and results of the research activities will be presented. Our goal is to extend these activities across the region. The purpose of the program is to train community members so that they can preserve their architectural heritage, and the stories and buildings will be passed on to the next generations.