Ganve (Ganvie) - Venice in Africa

We go to the village of Ganvie (Ganve), which is located in the Republic of Benin. This settlement is the largest settlement on the water, is home to more than 20 000 people. Can you imagine a real city, which is located in the midst of this lake, which, incidentally, is called "Nukue».


Scientists claim that the age Ganve is at least 500 years. The second name of this village - African Venice. As for the history of this unusual place, it originates from the 17th century, when these places were called "Dahomey", then it was a powerful state in West Africa. The key linguistic and ethnic group in these places were background that made a deal with the Portuguese. The essence of the deal was not to give their people into slavery, and people from other tribes. At the same time warriors Background dominated quantitatively over the warriors of other tribes, and none of the other ethnic groups could not defend against attacks background. But some people came up with a great way to protect - the house, floating on the lake. The fact that religious beliefs Background says that the soldier has no right to attack the enemy, if he is on the water.



So, Ganve village was founded as a way of protection. Lake Nukue literally become a real home to a people. That salvation and became the basis for the name of the settlement - which means "Ganve" means "We are alive».



I must say that periodically during the drought on the lake islets begin to appear modest size, which locals used for grazing. But it is not difficult to guess that the main diet of the locals still is fish. On this lake are organized intricate system of pens that allow catch and grow a variety of fish species.

In Ganve should visit, it really is an amazing place, by the way, there are handicraft shops with souvenirs, as well as a modest-sized hotel and restaurant.

The main occupation of the inhabitants of the city on the water is fish - men all day to catch her, and the women sell it. Life in Ganve flows steadily and quietly ...

Drifting between other houses on the water, each guest will inevitably asks what binds together all these buildings. We answer all of them arranged on wooden stilts, which dug into the bottom of the lake, but there are drifting in the water part - for example, the local market.

I must say that in recent years the village became acute environmental problem, in particular Ganve contaminated with modern commodities. When modern "good" civilization reached the city on the water, the locals all their garbage thrown into the water, he was carried away out over and quickly rot, because we used only natural materials that degrade in water. But today, local residents use plastic and other modern utensils, which is why the water becomes every year more pollution and.

Somehow Ganve not called a tourist attraction, while from 1996 the year the city was listed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. This African city on the water - a really amazing place to visit.