An Egyptian visits a market for Voodoo followers in an African country.. What did he find?

- If you are looking for an awe-inspiring adventure, and an experience that is not suitable for the faint-hearted, then this trip may interest you, as Egyptian travel content creator Sherif Nabil documented his visit to a voodoo market in Benin, where he found himself faced with scenes and rituals completely far from what he was accustomed to (watch the video above). Benin, located in West Africa, is the spiritual homeland of voodoo, from which it moved to Haiti and parts of the American continent during the era of the slave trade. Since the 1990s, the country has officially recognized Voodoo as one of its religions, and also hosts annual celebrations dedicated to it.

Speaking to the Ofoq News website in Arabic, Nabil explained that curiosity was the main motivation behind embarking on this trip, as he wanted to get to know closely the importance of Voodoo in West Africa, and understand some of the beliefs and rituals associated with it, away from the image presented by films. His journey led him to a voodoo market in the city of Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, but documenting the experience was not easy, as a number of voodoo practitioners refused to appear in front of the camera.

Inside the market, Nabil was surprised by huge numbers of animal skulls and their remains, including birds, monkeys, horses, hedgehogs, deer, and crocodiles, along with various statues and tools that are used, according to what he was told, in various practices and rituals. The skulls were what surprised him most, as he said: “I could not count the number of skulls around me.

I think if I had been in a mass animal grave, I wouldn't have found all those skulls. There were skulls of many animals of different types and sizes, not to mention the dead animals stored.”

Nabil was able to reach the market with the help of a local guide, who played an essential role in the experience, as he provided him with information that was difficult to access through online research alone, and also helped him communicate with residents and voodoo practitioners through translation into English. Voodoo has its roots in West Africa, and followers of the practice believe in the existence of a supreme being along with other spiritual entities, as well as a belief in a close connection between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

For Nabil, the strangeness of the experience was not limited to what he saw inside the market. He also attended some rituals, which ended with offerings, before the scene suddenly changed into a festive atmosphere.

Describing the scene, Nabil said that everyone was in a state of awe while performing the rituals, before an atmosphere similar to a group party began, which included music, dancing, and drinking alcoholic drinks, according to what he mentioned. Despite the strangeness of what he witnessed compared to the culture in which he grew up, Nabil was careful not to pass judgment on the practices he witnessed, emphasizing that he was there as a spectator seeking to learn about a different culture.

The video clip that Nabil shared about his experience sparked widespread interaction among his followers, as many expressed their astonishment at the existence of practices that they believed did not go beyond the world of films, while others dealt with some scenes with a sense of humor.