Spectators poured into Benin's capital for a new festival celebrating traditional masks over the weekend as the West African country seeks to attract visitors and showcase its cultural heritage.

Instead of simply trading with African kingdoms ... with Prince Oranmiyan when he arrived to found the kingdom of Benin. The mask was worn by a dancer in the Ododua ceremony to celebrate the ...

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent ... a man in a costume and mask is surrounded by spectators at a festival in Benin's capital, Porto-Novo ...