The Palace of the Governors (French: ''palais des Gouverneurs'') is the old official residence of the

President of Togo The president of the Togolese Republic () is the head of state of the Togolese Republic. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial as the actual executive power lies in the president of the Council of Ministers, a powerful role ...

and the residence of the First Minister since 1991. It is located on the south-western side of the city of

Lomé Lomé ( , ) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Togo, largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437

, the capital city of the

Togolese Republic Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It is one of the least developed countries and extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, whe ...

, next to the presidential residence.

History

The building was designed by a joint team of German and Togolese architects and engineers and was built between 1898 and 1905. The original concept for the building was to construct a palace that would make an impression from long distances, such as boats coming to harbor in Lomé, its construction was started by the Governor August Köhler soon after Lomé was made the capital of the colony, one of the most prosperous German colonies, in an effort to show its power and prestige.Les palais des gouverneurs - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
/ref> The materials used originated from a unique mixture of local available and imported goods. They include red bricks, iron, local woods, and cement. The building is typical of German colonial architecture. Constructed in a vast park, which was accessed previously through a gate made out of two elephant tusks more than two metres long, it is surrounded with terraces and possesses a

patio A patio (, ; ) is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia, the term is expanded to include roofed structures such as a veranda, which provides protection from sun ...

similar to that of the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania {, class="wikitable" width="95%" , - bgcolor="white" !align=center, Residence !align=center, Photo !align=center, City !align=cen ...

of King Toffa I, in

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

. The ground floor previously housed administrative services while the private quarters of the governors were on the first floor. The palace was expanded by French authorities after 1914 as Togo was ceded by Germany following

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After Togo took its independence in 1960, it became the seat of the presidency until 1976 when it became a residency for guests, and subsequently the seat of the Prime Minister in 1991, although it has suffered some damages from the political and social tensions of 1991 in Togo.

World Heritage Status

Thi
site
was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

Tentative List on January 8, 2002 in the Cultural category.

Notes

References

Les palais des gouverneurs - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Retrieved 2009-03-04. West Africa Buildings and structures in Lomé Presidential residences Houses completed in 1905 1905 establishments in the German colonial empire {{Togo-struct-stub