Asante Traditional Buildings, Ghana

In Ghana, there is a curious object that will appeal to lovers of unusual architectural sights. It is the traditional architecture of Ashanti people in the district of Asanta. The complex of 13 buildings is incredibly beautiful and is nowadays, unfortunately, the only memory of the once powerful and prosperous state of Ashanti. The state flourished in the 18th century, and from the beginning of the 19th century, it was ravaged by destructive wars. Finally, the state was conquered by the British army in 1901, during the war years almost all the buildings were destroyed. The beautiful houses that travellers can see today are witnesses to the most tragic events in the history of the Ashanti state. At present, architectural structures are under special protection and are constantly being restored.

The thing is that local residents built houses and palaces of fairly fragile materials, the main building material for the construction of houses was clay. Roofs were made of straw and wood. It is surprising that such vulnerable buildings managed to survive after many years under the influence of natural factors. Local residents help to support the architectural complex in a decent state and regularly cover the walls of houses and bas-reliefs with special paint. Unfortunately, all the most beautiful and large-scale buildings of Ashanti were burned during the war, no palace or mausoleum was left on the territory of the complex. Most of the surviving buildings are typical village houses, where ordinary people lived hundreds of years ago. Next - Ancient Thebes Necropolis