Bandjeli

Bandjeli

Bandjeli is a village in Togo, and it is located in the northern part of the country, in the Bassar prefecture of the Kara region, about six kilometers east of the Ghanaian border. The capital, Lomé, is about 400 kilometers to the south. The village is known for its red iron ore deposits, which contain almost pure hematite ores. Traces of the first iron smelting date back to 420 BC. Bandjeli is therefore considered the cradle of iron smelting in West Africa, which at that time was carried out in so-called race furnaces. During the German colonial period, Bandjeli was in the administrative district of Sokode. At that time, the town was also a center for iron smelting, which was carried out by the local population in about 500 furnaces. The products were sold in local markets and used to make weapons and tools. The average annual production at that time was about 400 tons. The German colonial administration had a special license for the exclusive exploration and mining of iron ore in the Sokode district, thus ensuring control over the iron ore deposits and the amount of pig iron produced. The railway line from the Agbonou station to the main Kamina station in the hinterland was to be extended as far as Bandjeli in order to exploit the ore deposits there, but this was not realized due to the outbreak of the First World War. To this day, iron ore smelting is a central activity in the municipality, and international companies are now involved. The stock is estimated at 500 tons. There is also a local market and a cultural center Banjeli and Nagbani have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987 as "Ancient Sites of the Bassar Iron Smelting Industry".