The Great Mosque of Porto-Novo is one of the city's most startling buildings, a mosque whose colour, stucco decoration, and facade recall the Afro-Brazilian architecture brought back by returnees from Brazil. Construction began in the early 20th century, and the building still serves as a place of prayer.
Its value for travellers is partly visual and partly historical. In a city where Brazilian, Yoruba, French, and Islamic influences overlap, the mosque makes that mixture visible in a single, exuberant landmark.