A town in the

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

, Mbé is located in the Ngabe District of the Department of Pool, approximately 200 km northeast of

Brazzaville Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...

. A village in Cameroon, Adamoua region, Vina North

Site Description

The royal domain of Mbé was composed of various sites related to the culture and the history of the

Bateke The Teke people or Bateke, also known as the Tyo or Tio, are a Bantu Central African ethnic group that speak the Teke languages and that mainly inhabit the south, north, and center of the Republic of the Congo, the west of the Democratic Republi ...

people. The capital and residence of the

Makoko Makoko is an informal settlement across the 3rd Mainland Bridge located on the coast of mainland Lagos. A third of the community is built on stilts along the lagoon and the rest is on the land. The waterfront part of the community is largely har ...

(king) was also referred to as Mbé. The Kingdom knew ceaseless displacements throughout its history. The precolonial Bateke cultural tradition, indeed, required the displacement of the capital “Mbé” whenever a king died suddenly.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Tentative List on June 12, 2008, in the Cultural category.

Notable people

Ngalifourou Ngalifourou (1864 – 8 June 1956) was a queen of the Mbé region in what is today the Republic of Congo(Congo-Brazzaville). As a ruler she was close to French colonial authorities and was the first ruler in her region to sign a treaty with them. ...

, Queen Mother of the Teke and ally of the French colonisers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mbe Populated places in the Republic of the Congo