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The peculiar nature of the ancient Asante Buildings

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  The Ashanti Kingdom was a great force in the 18th century and still remains influential to this day in Ghana. Their military nature allowed them to control large areas with significant gold deposits, they ruled a vast area of present-day Ghana before the arrival of the Europeans in 1806. This historic site contains thirteen houses built by the Asante Kingdom, during the European reign a significant number of the Asante buildings were destroyed. However, the surviving buildings are now cultural emblems. In 1980, they were recognized as one of the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ghana. These buildings consist of clay or mud walls and roofs made from woven palm branches. They have a geometrical design embellished with stylized animal emblems. These group of traditional buildings are the last remaining testimony of the great Asante civilization, which reached its peak in the 18th century. The buildings include ten shrines/fetish houses (Abirim, Asawase, Asenemaso, Bodwease, Ejisu ...
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The urban history of Afro- Brazillians in Ghana

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  The Brazil house which is located on the Brazil lane in Jamestown was built in 1836 bearing the beautiful footprints of Accra’s urban history. It housed the Tabom or Agudas people, who were the Afro-Brazilian community mostly of Yoruba descent. The Tabom people are an Afro-Brazilian community of former slaves returnees about 3,000 and 8,000. According to historical reports of Ghana, they came back on a ship called SS Salisbury, offered by the British government. Those who arrived in South Ghana and Accra, were numbered about seventy Afro- Brazillians of seven different families. The reception by the then Mantse, Nii Ankrah of the Otublohum area was so warm that they decided to settle down in Accra. The leader of the Tabom group at the time of their arrival was a certain Nii Azumah Nelson. The eldest son of Azumah Nelson, Nii Alasha, was his successor and a very close friend to the Ga King Nii Tackie Tawiah. Together they helped in the development of the whole community in commerc...
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The Critically Endangered, Togo Slippery Frog

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When I first saw a photo of this specie, my initial thoughts were, “okay this is regular frog”, then my eyes gazed upon the name, and I was taken aback for a moment there. I mean, which frog isn’t slippery, why is it named after a country, what is its story, how different is it from the “mundane” ones we hear of, whenever  it rains. My thoughts ran wild. With the help of research, my mind got clearer from all the  wonder of what this frog is. Stay with me, as we learn all about the Togo Slippery Frog. According to a list updated on the 14th of September, 2019, by the International Union For Conservation of Nature, the Togo slippery frog is part of a list of Critically Endangered species in Ghana. This list was last updated 2019-09-14 This list contains only species that have been assessed for the IUCN Red List. It is therefore not representative of all the species in the country. Conraua derooi also known as the Togo Slippery Frog  is a species of frog...
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  Cape Coast attractions (1): Fort Victoria Cape Coast, one of the most beautiful cities in Ghana is the capital of the Central Region, located in the southern part of Ghana. Known for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, the city overlooks the Gulf of Guinea. Due to the city being home to the Dutch, British, and Europeans during colonial times in Ghana, it is clad with different castles and forts holding the history and culture of the people of Cape Coast. Some of these include the famous Cape Coast Castle which is a large whitewashed fort built by the Swedish in the 17th century. It was later used by the British as a holding prison for slaves. Inside the Castle Museum are exhibits on pre-colonial local history, the slave trade and traditional crafts, and Phillip’s Tower. Fort Victoria Formerly known as ‘Phipp’s Tower’, named after its builder, English Governor Phipps, the fort was constructed in 1821. It was one of the chain of 3 lookout posts built on the hills in the town...
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The hidden gem of Abuakwa South Municipality

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  Abuakwa South Municipal District is one of the thirty-three districts in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Originally, it was part of the then-larger East Akim District in 1988. It was created from the former East Akim District Council, until the northern part of the district was split off to create Abuakwa North Municipal District on 1 June 2018; thus the remaining part has been renamed as Abuakwa South Municipal District. The municipality is located in the central part of the Eastern Region and has Kibi as its capital town. Hidden at the centre of Abuakwa south, is the Bunso Aboretum, an eco-tourism site and an ideal place for adventure, picnics, and relaxation. The site has over 600 species of trees used for various medicinal purposes. About Bunso, offers visitors a combination of a native forest and species introduced to Ghana by the Plant Genetic Resources Centre of Bunso, which uses the facility for research. The site contains over 110 species of bird 30 species of butterflies a...
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The Desirable Mouthwatering Akan Meal ‘mpoto mpoto’

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Yam porridge, also known as Mpoto Mpoto in the Akan language, is widely regarded as the simplest yet most delicious yam dish. Before we dive into this delectable dish, let us first learn about the Akan tribe, among whom this dish is popular. Akan, a group of people who speak Akan languages (of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family) and are said to be from the Guinea Coast. They speak Akyem, Anyi, Asante (Ashanti), Attié, Baule, Brong, Chakosi, Fante (Fanti), and Guang.The majority of Akan live in Ghana, where they arrived in successive waves between the 11th and 18th centuries; others live in the eastern part of Côte d’Ivoire and parts of Togo. The Ashanti culture refers to the cultural practices, beliefs, and customs that are distinct from Ghanaian culture. Twi, also known as the Akan language, holds the distinction of being the first dialect used in translation  of the Bible in Ghana. Yams are the most important food crop in the Akan economy, but plantains and taro are also im...
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The multi purpose staple food of the Ga Adangbes – Kenkey

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  Kenkey (also known as kɔmi, otim, kooboo or dorkunu) is a staple dish similar to sourdough dumpling from the Ga and Fante-inhabited regions of West Africa, usually served with pepper sauce and fried fish or soup, stew. Ghana which is among the West African countries with rich traditions and cultures, has several ethnic groups, with each group having its own unique traditions. Today we will be looking at the Ga Adangbe ethnic group and its famous staple food. The Ga-Adangbe tribe, one of the ethnic groups whose culture is most prosperous and vibrant. The Ga-Dangbe is also known as Ga-Dangme, GaDangme, Ga-Adampa, Ga-Adangme, Ga-Danmeli, Ga-Adampe, Ga-Adangbe, Ga-Adanme, and Ga-Ada. History of The Ga Adangbes The Ga-Adangbe came from a city in Egypt called Goshen. The group stayed there for some years, before deciding to leave the city during 672-525 B.C. During that journey, they crossed Ethiopia and then moved to Nigeria. They later migrated to West Africa and eventually stopped i...
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