The
Ashanti Region has probably the most interesting part in Ghana's
history. This takes us back to ancient Gana in Mali - when Gana
broke up, the Akan tribe split up and one group settled in the
region, which became the Ashanti Region. The Ashanti were a
tribe of Warriors and after a short period had conquered the
most of the tribes around them with the exception of the
Denkyira, which made life difficult for them. The Denkyira
oppressed the Ashanti which had to pay tribute to them in form
of Gold and Slaves. The change came with King Osei Tutu who was
able to conquer the Denkyira in 1700.
As it
happens so very often in world history the oppressed became the
oppressor. After their victory over the Denkyira, the Ashanti
begun systematically to incorporate all surrounding tribes and
villages into the Ashanti Kingdom. Due to the many wars the
Ashanti had many prisoners of war which were sold to the
Europeans as Slaves. This in turn resulted in a permanent war
between the Fanti's from the coast and the Ashanti who did not
want to use the Fanti as middlemen in their trade. This behavior
of the Ashanti was noticed by the British and they in turn did
not look favorably on this which ended in the war between this
two headstrong parties - the Ashanti and the British. As the
Ashanti had a strong army it took 7 wars between the years 1824
and 1901 until the British were able to conquer Kumasi in 1901.
Kumasi
today also known as Garden City or Gold Town has an interesting
tale to tell about how it came into existence. Okonfo Anokye the
High Priest of Asantehene Osei Tutu planted two seeds of the Kum
Tree at two different locations. One seed started to grow but
one died. Kum Asi ( under the Kum tree ) was built at the
location of the growing tree and another town was later built at
the other location and became known as Kum Awu ( the Kum tree
that died ). It was also Okonfo Anokye who brought down the
Golden Stool from the sky. It is believed that the soul of the
Asante people was put in the Golden Stool and it has been
protected by every means ever since. The stool is never
displayed in public, what you see is always an imitation. The
only time the Asantehene sits on the Golden Stool is on his
initiation day.
Almost
none of the historic Kumasi is left today due to the burning
down of the ancient Kum Asi by the British upon their victory in
1901. It took the Asante people twelve years to re- built their
city but almost none of the original traces of their history
remains.. After these years of struggle Kumasi entered a time of
plenty and immense riches. The years after the second world war,
Ghana became interesting once again for the western world due to
the countries natural resources in Cocoa, Gold and Hard Wood. As
all these are mostly found in the Ashanti Region the Asantehene
and his people were able to profit immensely. The railway Line
connecting the North and the South run through Kumasi and this
boosted its importance yet again. Kumasi soon became the central
Market point in Ghana which in turn attracted people to migrate
from all over the country to settle. Schools were built, roads
constructed, factories erected and Kumasi slowly grew into the
second largest city in Ghana.
From the
historical aspect the Brong Ahafo Region is the cradle of the
Akan People as most of the Akan Tribes find their roots in the
areas of Techiman and Kintampo. During some archeological
expeditions amazing finds were made in these areas. The largest
tribes in this region are the Bono and the Ahafo. Sunyani has
always been a market place between the north and the south. The
Salt Traders from the south and the north met here as well as
the Kola Nut was traded between the east and the west. The area
surrounding Sunyani used to be densely populated by Elephants
which in turn attracted the hunters in search of Ivory. Once the
Elephants diminished the town Sunyani lost it's attraction and
this brought about the beginning of Cocoa Plantations. With the
growing Cocoa demand in the world Sunyani again became
interesting for traders. The farmers became rich and Sunyani
grew into a flourishing city.
The Brong
Ahafo Region used to be part of Ashanti until the 60's when it
became a region of it's own. In the western part of this region
near the Cote d'Ivoire border the vegetation is dense rainforest
which makes up for the largest part of Ghana's forest reserve.
The eastern border of the region is the Volta Lake which is at
it's widest here. The northern area of the region shows a change
in vegetation and the rainforest changes into tree savanna.
From the Ashanti & Brong
Ahafo Region we select some sightseeing's.
The
Okonfo Anokye
Sward Site
Okomfo Anokye
(active late 17th century) was an Ashanti priest,
statesman and lawgiver. He occupies a Merlin-like
position in Ashanti history. A co-founder of the
Empire of Ashanti in West Africa, he helped
establish its constitution, laws, and customs . . . |
The
Armed Forces
Museum
Fort Kumasi rebuilt by the British in 1896/1897 to
replace the Asante fort. (opposite the Central Post
Office) Destroyed during the Anglo-Ashanti Wars (a
series of . . . |
The
Kejetia Market
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti
region. It is located in the Rain Forest Region
about 250 kilometres (160 mi) (by road) northwest of
Accra. Kumasi is . . . |
The
Lake Bosomtwe
Lake
Bosumtwi, situated within an ancient meteorite impact crater, is
approximately 8 km across and the only natural lake
in Ghana. It is situated about 30 km south-east of
Kumasi and is a popular . . . |
The
Wood Carvers of Ahwiaa
A town in the centre of the country. Ahwiaa produces
exceptional carved figures among which the most famous is
Ghana's traditional fertility doll. . . . |
In Bonwire
Kente
cloth, known locally as nwentoma, is a type of silk and cotton fabric made
of interwoven cloth strips and is native to the Akan people of Ghana and the
Ivory Coast. . . . |
The
Buabeng-Fiema Monkey-Sanctuary
Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary is unique. It is the only
place where two different species of monkeys, regarded as sacred
- the Campbell's Mona and the Geoffroy's Columbus - live
together within . .
. |
The
Kintampo
Waterfall
The Kintampo archaeological site in Ghana dates back
to 2500-1400 BCE and is one of the earliest known
sites for the cultivation of the cowpea. Evidence of
polished stone axes, stone beads, buildings of . . . |
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