Ruins of Loropéni
The 11,130 square meter site is the first inscribed in the country and its imposing stone walls are the best preserved of the ten fortresses in the Lobi region, part of a group of 100 stone wall enclosures that bear witness to the power of the trans-Saharan gold trade. Located near the borders of Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo, recent studies suggest it is at least 1,000 years old. The settlement was inhabited by the Lohron or Koulango people, who controlled gold mining and processing in the region between the 14th and 17th centuries when it reached its peak. There are many mysteries surrounding the site, much of which has yet to be excavated. The settlement appears to have been abandoned at certain times in its long history. The site, which was ultimately abandoned in the early 19th century, is expected to provide more information.