Nzulezo

Nzulezo is a village located near the village of Beyin, 90 kilometers west of Takoradi, in the Jomoro District of the Western Region of Ghana.[1]

Nzulezo village
Nzulezo village

Nzulezu overlooks Lake Tadane, and is entirely made up of stilts and platforms. In 2000, it was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a major tourist attraction area.[1]

Etymology

The village's name "Nzulezo" in the Nzema language means "water surface". According to local legend, the village was built by a group of people from Oualata, a city in the ancient Ghana Empire and in present-day Mauritania, which came about from following a snail. The snail is therefore a totem and revered by the people of Nzulezo.[2]

Construction

Nzulezu was built over Lake Tadane. The settlement of Nzulezo consists of stilt-supported structures.[1]

It is not known why the village has been built over water. The main activities of its inhabitants is agriculture, while fishery plays a secondary role. The lake is perceived by the local population to protect against certain risks (e.g. a fire).[1]

Education

There is a primary school and after primary school learners have to leave the village to go for secondary schools and universities.[3]

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on January 17, 2000, in the Cultural category.[1]

The village was nominated to become a World Heritage Site for its importance in anthropology: in addition to being one of the few ancient settlements on stilts and platforms left in the world, there is a preserved wealth of local traditions connected with the cult of the lake.[1] Lake Tadane occurs on the banks of all religious rites, and Thursday, is a day sacred to the lake, and it is forbidden to use and work on the lake for any activity throughout the day of Thursday.[1]

In recent times the village has been opened to tourism, but with certain constraints (visitations are allowed only once a week).[1] The village can be reached only by a canoe; the route, which crosses the rain forest, takes about an hour to 5 km away. In the village there is a church and a school. As the village is extremely isolated, Nzulezo suffers from numerous health problems, including the vast spread of malaria.[1]

Nearby sites
  • Ankasa Nature Reserve
  • Fort Apollonia
  • Childhood home of Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of an independent Ghana

References
  1. Nzulezu Stilt Settlement - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Retrieved on 2009-03-26.
  2. "Nzulezo Stilt Village". touringghana.com. 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  3. By Aisha Salaudeen and Rachel Wood. "Ghana's floating village is trying to balance its ancient traditions in a modern world". CNN. Retrieved 2021-01-05.

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