UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ghana
Ghana has 2 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (2 cultural), the first inscribed in 1979 (Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions). The map below plots every one of them alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 2
- Cultural
- 2
- Natural and Mixed
- 0
- First Inscribed
- 1979
Map of World Heritage Sites in Ghana
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Ghana. Click a dot to read about the site.
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
Ghana · 5.1037° N, 1.2410° W · 1 km from Cape Coast
The remains of fortified trading-posts, erected between 1482 and 1786, can still be seen along the coast of Ghana between Keta and Beyin. They were links in the trade routes established by the Portuguese in many areas of the world during their era of great maritime exploration.
Description from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Why Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions Is Listed
- (vi)
- A direct association with events, ideas or beliefs of universal significance.
Asante Traditional Buildings
Ghana · 6.4011° N, 1.6258° W · 24 km from Obuasi
The Asante Traditional Buildings are a collection of 10 traditionally built buildings from the time of the Ashanti Empire in the area near Kumasi. These buildings served as fetish houses and shrines during the 18th and 19th centuries, during the golden age of the Ashanti Empire. When the empire fell during the British occupation of the area from 1806 to 1901, most Asante buildings of the period were destroyed during the era. Among other buildings, the royal mausoleum was destroyed by Robert Baden-Powell in 1895. The 10 remaining buildings are the last remains of the history and culture of the Asante people and were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Asante Traditional Buildings (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Asante Traditional Buildings Is Listed
- (v)
- An outstanding example of traditional human settlement or land use.
More about Asante Traditional Buildings
UNESCO's Description
To the north-east of Kumasi, these are the last material remains of the great Asante civilization, which reached its high point in the 18th century. Since the dwellings are made of earth, wood and straw, they are vulnerable to the onslaught of time and weather.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Overview
The buildings were described as "home of men and gods". The houses are arranged around courtyards, and are built of timber, bamboo and mud plaster. The construction style is called wattle and daub. The walls of the buildings are covered in bas-reliefs, with spiral and arabesque forms and representations of animals, birds and plants. These reliefs consist of traditional Adinkra symbols, having unique symbolic meanings associated with Asante culture and were passed down over generations. The shrines consist of four rooms facing a central courtyard, built on a raised plinth. Three of the rooms were used for ritual activities, while the fourth was designated for the shrine itself, to which access was restricted.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Asante Traditional Buildings (CC BY-SA 4.0).
World Heritage in Ghana: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Ghana?
- Ghana has 2 World Heritage Sites: 2 cultural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Ghana?
- Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions, inscribed in 1979. The most recent is Asante Traditional Buildings, inscribed in 1980.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Ghana in danger?
- None of the World Heritage Sites in Ghana is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.