Wa Naa's Palace

Wa Naa's Palace is the home to the King of the Wala people who are said to be the majority in Wa in the Upper West Region of Ghana. It is located in the heart of the town and the home to the entire family, palace staff and officials of the kingdom. It is the place for cultural, political, religious and social importance for the local people.[1][2][3]

Palace pillars

Features

The building is made from traditional Sudanese mud-brick architecture. The architectural style is a combination of forms and influences from the Moorish architecture and Sahel-Sudan according to some sources.[4] It is claimed that few historic earthen buildings of this nature remained in the Upper West region because of inadequate skilled artisans that are needed to maintain the building.[1][5][6][7]

History

Historians claim the people of Wa migrated from Sudan in the northern part of Africa. They were mostly nomadic people and they traveled for miles to feed their livestock. After they settled in their present land, they installed a king and led to the creation of Wa Naa Title with Wa Naa as the supreme leader of the people. It is claimed in the 19th century, the building was built using sundried mud-brick walls and Y-shaped wooden columns to support the flat roofs of a bush-pole framework covered with mud. The place was built to prevent enemy attacks and weapons if they were ever attacked. It is also known to be the gravesite for former kings who are buried in front of the palace.[1][8][5][9]

Partnership

In 2009, the World Monuments Fund collaborated with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board to ponder on means on how to preserve the Y-shaped structure. It was regarded as one of the finest and last remains of ancient architectural buildings that have to be preserved. This project was completed in 2012.[5]

References
  1. "Wa Naa's Palace". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  2. Jetsanza.com, Akesse Sanza | (2019-10-25). "Palaces in Ghana: Wa Naa's Palace". Jetsanza.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. Online, Peace FM. "Wa-Naa Endorses Goosie Tanoh To Lead NDC In 2020". Peacefmonline.com – Ghana news. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  4. asa (2018-01-31). "Palace of the Wa Naa, Wa, Ghana". website. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  5. Jetsanza.com, Akesse Sanza | (2019-12-02). "Wa Naa's Palace: A Brief History". Jetsanza.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  6. "Wa Naa Palace". Ghana-Net.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  7. "Palace of the Wa Naa". Afro Tourism. 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  8. "Wa Naa's Palace – 2020 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  9. "Wa Naa's Palace – FIANDAD GHANA LIMITED". Retrieved 2020-08-11.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.