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The Slave Coast: Aného, Togoville & Togo's Atlantic Heritage

The Togo coast was a key section of the Slave Coast — Aného and Togoville tell the story of the Atlantic slave trade, the German missionaries, and the colonial origins of modern Togo

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1
Aného Colonial Capital
Togo's old capital under German administration — the crumbling German and French buildings along the lagoon remain, ghostly remnants of colonial ambition
2
Aného Slave Trade History
The lagoon behind Aného was a stop for enslaved people before going to the waiting ships – a history now marked by community-led memorials along the water
3
Togoville Royal Palace
The village of Togoville is where the German colonial treaty was signed with the Mlapa III king in 1884 — the royal palace and lakeside setting are worth the pirogue
4
Lake Togo Pirogue Crossing
A traditional pirogue crosses shallow Lake Togo to reach Togoville — the lake is sacred to the local Ewe community and hosts annual Voodoo ceremonies
5
Voodoo ceremony in Togoville
The annual voodoo procession on Lake Togo at Togoville is one of West Africa's most extraordinary spiritual spectacles — hundreds of pirogues and thousands of devotees
6
Memorial to Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II visited Togoville in 1985 to venerate the Virgin Mary - a dramatic lakeside chapel commemorates the visit in colorful ceramic tiles