Asante Traditional Buildings

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Asante Traditional Buildings
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
The Ashanti Empire and Gold Coast on map from 1896.
Type	Cultural
Criteria	v
Reference	35
UNESCO region	Ashanti region
Coordinates	06°24′04″N 01°37′33″W / 6.40111°N 1.62583°W / 6.40111; -1.62583Coordinates: 06°24′04″N 01°37′33″W / 6.40111°N 1.62583°W / 6.40111; -1.62583
Inscription history
Inscription	1980 (35th Session)
Location in Ghana

Asante Traditional Buildings is a World Heritage Site in Ghana, which is a collection of 13 traditionally built buildings from the time of the Ashanti Empire in the area.

The Asante Kingdom had its golden age in the 18th century, fell during the British occupation of the area from 1806 to 1901, and most Asante buildings of the period were destroyed during the area. Among other buildings, the royal mausoleum was destroyed by Baden-Powell in 1895.

The buildings were described as "home of men and gods", and are the last remains of the history and culture of the Asante people. The houses are built of clay, straw and wood, and are vulnerable to natural fluctuations. There is therefore a need for the preservation of the buildings.

References

• Michael Swithenbank. Ahanti fetish houses. Accra Ghana Univ Press, 1969
• About Ghana: World Heritage Sites
• conservation practice in Ghana, a case study: the fetish house at Asawasi (Ashanti) (article, pdf)