Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region occupies the central portion of Ghana and is one of the most prosperous in the country. It produces a large proportion of the wealth of the country today - gold, cocoa, and timber. The Ashanti area is noted for its local industries-wicker-work, pottery, wood-carving (especially stools), and kente cloth weaving. Kumasi, the capital of this region, is second in size to Accra, the nation's capital. It is the hub of the ancient kingdom of Ashanti, and still is the heartland for all Ashantis, wherever they may now be.

The Ashanti culture is built around the legend of the Golden Stool, which is regarded as the soul of the Ashanti. The Golden Stool is said to have come down from the heavens in answer to the prayers of the greatest of all traditional priests, Okomfo Anokye, who lived in Kumasi during the reign of King Osei Tutu, the founder of the Ashanti dynasty, around 1700.

The museum in Kumasi at the National Cultural Centre delineates this background. The Golden Stool is the symbol of the political, religious and cultural authority and unity of the people of Ashanti. It is enshrined in its own stool house and cleansed regularly especially during traditional rites performed by the Asantehene (King of Ashanti), the priests and royal aides. All Ashanti kings are referred to as "occupying the Golden Stool" but none have actually sat on it because it is considered too sacred. The Golden Stool always rests on its side.

A visit to Ashanti must necessarily include Kumasi, the ancient capital of the region founded in 1695. Legend has it that Okomfo Anokye, the ingenious traditional priest and advisor to King Osei Tutu, located Kumasi at its present site by planting two Kum trees. The place where the tree survived became the new capital of the Ashanti nation. Kumasi means "under the Kum tree". The place where the tree died is called Kumawu, which literally means, "where the Kum tree died".

The uniqueness of Kumasi includes its ability to develop for centuries without the European influence felt about the country in the early centuries. Ashanti never came under European domination until the 20th century. The British fought the Ashantis in several wars for domination. The seventh and last was led by the famous Ashanti heroine Yaa Asantewaa from Ejisu near Kumasi.

The palaces, museums, forts and churches reveal the distinct cultural and historic heritage of the Ashantis as a unique people. The Palace of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the festivals of Akwasidae, the Kumasi Fort and the Military Museum, and the Centre for National Culture are all essential tourist highspots. Funerals are spectacular events in Ashanti (usually held on Saturdays), amidst displays of drumming, dancing and pageantry, often with thousands of mourners in tradition red and black.

Kumasi has the largest open-air market in West Africa located at Kejetia, and there are smaller towns and villages famous for their artisans and handicrafts all around it.

Ashanti is also one of the most beautiful regions of Ghana, with unspoiled natural attractions. For birdwatchers both the Owabi Bird Sanctuary (an important wetlands) and the crater Lake Bosomtwi are well worth a visit, while walkers will love the Bobiri Forest Reserve and its arboretum, the Bomfobiri Wildlife Sanctuary with its seasonal waterfall, and the hills around Lake Bosomtwi. Forest wildlife, including monkeys, buck and clouds of butterflies can be seen all over the region.

Ashanti is also home to most important gold mines in Ghana at Obuasi (50km southwest of Kumasi). The town of Obuasi still has an air of the gold rush days of the 1890s. Surface visits can be arranged.

Throughout Ashanti (and especially in Kumasi) you will find welcoming hotels and restaurants, while in the main towns nightlife and entertainment are first class. Sporting facilities are available in the urban areas, while exciting fishing can be enjoyed in our lakes and rivers.