Asante Traditional Buildings


World Heritage Identification Number: 35

World Heritage since: 1980

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇬🇭 Ghana

Continent: Africa

UNESCO World Region: Africa

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Asante Traditional Buildings: A Glimpse into the Rich History of the Ashanti Empire

The Asante Traditional Buildings, located in the vicinity of Kumasi, Ghana, serve as the final tangible remnants of the once formidable Asante civilization that flourished in the 18th century. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980, these structures offer a unique insight into the rich cultural heritage and architectural prowess of the Ashanti Empire.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

To the north-east of Kumasi, these are the last material remains of the great Asante civilization, which reached its high point in the 18th century. Since the dwellings are made of earth, wood and straw, they are vulnerable to the onslaught of time and weather.

Encyclopedia Record: Asante Traditional Buildings

The Asante Traditional Buildings are a collection of 10 traditionally built buildings from the time of the Ashanti Empire in the area near Kumasi. These buildings served as fetish houses and shrines during the 18th and 19th centuries, during the golden age of the Ashanti Empire. When the empire fell during the British occupation of the area from 1806 to 1901, most Asante buildings of the period were destroyed during the era. Among other buildings, the royal mausoleum was destroyed by Robert Baden-Powell in 1895. The 10 remaining buildings are the last remains of the history and culture of the Asante people and were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980.

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Additional Site Details

Area: Not available

UNESCO Criteria: (v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement

Coordinates: 6.4011111111 , -1.6258333333

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Image of Asante Traditional Buildings

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
168 km — Ghana
Historic Town of Grand-Bassam
269 km — Côte d'Ivoire
Comoé National Park
390 km — Côte d'Ivoire
Royal Palaces of Abomey
408 km — Benin
Ruins of Loropéni
479 km — Burkina Faso

Country Information: Ghana

Flag of Ghana

Official Name: Republic of Ghana

Capital: Accra

Continent: Africa

Population (2024): 34,427,414

Population (2023): 33,787,914

Population (2022): 33,149,152

Land Area: 227,530 sq km

Currency: Ghanaian cedi (GHS)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Asante Traditional Buildings are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Asante Traditional Buildings, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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