The Benin Kingdom: The African City Europe Tried to Erase They called it the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Then they burned it down. Black History That Makes You Go Hmm. In this episode, we uncover the truth about the Benin Kingdom — a West African empire so advanced that Europeans could not believe Africans built it. When they entered Benin City, they found paved streets, massive city walls, brilliant architecture, and art so sophisticated that museums still struggle to explain it. The Benin Br