Textile in Ghana ranges from the kente, adinkra traditional cloth, African prints, batiks or tie and dye, and the smock The smock and kente cloth are said to be the national dress of Ghana. Kente cloth originated in the middle/southern region of Ghana. The smock is from the north of Ghana. Kente (Akan: kente or nwetoma; Ewe: kete; Dagbani: Chinchini) is handwoven…

Although Ghana exports the majority of its gold and other mineral resources, there are a number of individuals and businesses in Ghana that manufacture jewelry. Some of the materials used are from other countries. There are new developments in the production of old aphorisms and symbols influenced by global culture. This is reflected in the…

The baskets in Ghana, known internationally as Bolga baskets, are exclusively woven by the indigenous people of Bolgatanga, a historical town in Northern Ghana. Bolgatanga literally translates to “soft soil, rocky land.” Bolgatanga, colloquially known as Bolga, is the capital of Ghana’s Upper East Region, with a population of approximately 50,000 people. It is the…

Pottery is one of the oldest human technologies and art forms, and it is still a significant industry in Ghana. In many parts of Ghana, pottery is the primary source of income for the people. The material from which pottery ware is made is clay. The most common type is earthenware, also known as “Asanka…

Sculpture in Ghana refers to any of the creative forms in which three-dimensional art objects are created from materials such as stone, metal, wood, or clay. The designs might take the form of standalone objects, reliefs on surfaces, or surroundings that range from tableaux to enveloping contexts. Some Ghanaian sculptors use volume and space to…

Ghana is noteworthy for being the first African country to gain independence from the British. Ghanaian officials commemorated this significant transformation by renaming the land after a famous indigenous culture from the past. While mythical in nature, these evocations of noble origins, combined with a rich cultural heritage and a militant nationalist movement, have provided…

The word Homowo (Homo – hunger, wo – hoot) can mean “to hoot (or jeer) at hunger” in the Ga language.  The tradition of Homowo started with a period of hunger leading to famine due to failure of the seasonal rains needed by crops in the Greater Accra Region, where the Ga people predominantly dwell. When the rains returned…

The Odwira Festival is celebrated by the people of Akropong-Akuapim, Aburi, Larteh and Mamfi in the  Eastern Region.  This festival is celebrated in most Akwapim towns during the months of September and October. The Akuapem Odwira festival was initiated by the 19th Okuapimhene of Akropong, Nana Addo Dankwa I (1811-1835) and was first celebrated in…

St George’s Castle, a Unesco heritage site, was built as a trading post by the Portuguese in 1482, and captured by the Dutch in 1637. It was expanded when slaves replaced gold as the major object of commerce, with storerooms converted into dungeons. The informative tour (included in the entry fee) takes you to the…

Cape Coast Castle is the largest of the buildings which contains the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Like most ancient fortifications in Ghana, Cape Coast Castle played a significant role in the gold and slave trades. But also, two significant contributions were made here: the arrival of…