Kumasi, nicknamed the Garden City and Oseikrom ("Osei's town"), is the historic capital of the Asante Empire, the capital of the Ashanti Region and the home of the Asantehene. Founded around 1680 by Osei Tutu I on the old state of Kwaman, it had around 3.5 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at the 2021 census.
kumasi.wikiThe website dedicated to Kumasi: an encyclopedic guide to the city →A Capital of Legend
When the British diplomat Thomas Edward Bowdich visited Kumasi in 1817 he was struck by its broad swept streets, two-story houses decorated with bas-reliefs and its cleanliness (see Culture & Architecture). The city was the hub of eight Great Roads, the Nkwantempon, running to the northern savanna and the Atlantic coast (see Gold, Trade & Roads).
In 1874 the troops of Sir Garnet Wolseley looted and burned Kumasi, blowing up the royal stone palace, the Aban. In 1896 the British built a fort there; in 1900 it was that fort Yaa Asantewaa besieged (see Yaa Asantewaa). The Golden Stool was never taken there.
What to See in Kumasi
| Place | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Manhyia Palace & Museum | Residence of the Asantehene; the palace, dating from 1925, houses a museum of Asante regalia, including a replica of the Golden Stool. |
| Kejetia Market | Often described as the largest market in West Africa, with more than 10,000 shops and stalls. |
| Prempeh II Jubilee Museum | Inside the Centre for National Culture: Asante artifacts and regalia. |
| Kumasi Fort / Armed Forces Museum | Built in 1896 on the site of an earlier Asante fort; tied to the siege of 1900. |
| Komfo Anokye sword site | Sacred spot where the Mponponsuo sword is said to be planted (see The Golden Stool). |
| KNUST | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana's largest university; the Asantehene is its chancellor. |
| Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital | A 750-bed hospital, the country's second largest, on the historic sword site. |
| Baba Yara Stadium & Asante Kotoko | A 40,000-seat stadium (1959); Asante Kotoko is among Ghana's most popular clubs. |
Living Traditions
Kumasi remains the centre of Asante ritual life. The Akwasidae ceremonies, which recur at regular intervals in the Akan ritual calendar, bring chiefs, drummers and royal umbrellas together around the Asantehene at Manhyia Palace. Manhyia is also where the Asantehene dispenses customary justice and presides over the Asanteman Council (see Otumfuo Osei Tutu II).
Around Kumasi
The craft villages (kente at Bonwire, adinkra at Ntonso, woodcarving at Ahwiaa), Lake Bosomtwe and the UNESCO-listed traditional shrines lie within a short distance: see the Ashanti Region & its towns.