Description:
Ouidah, Benin. The Bateau du Départ — replica of the slave ship L'Aurore. The three masts of the near-completed museum ship emerge above the terracotta perimeter wall of the La Marina complex, located near the Gate of No Return. The silhouette of the rigging — Oregon pine masts, iroko tops, meticulously reconstructed ropes and yards covering 1,500 m² of sail area — stands out against a dry-season overcast sky. Newly planted shrubs at the base of the wall herald the memorial gardens taking shape. Image from November 2025, before the site's inauguration.