Manhyia Palace
Encyclopedia
The Manhyia Palace is the seat of the Asantehene as well as his official residence. It is located at Kumasi
, the capital of the Ashanti region
of Ghana
. The first palace is now a palace museum. King Opoku Ware II
built the new palace which is close to the old one and is used by the current Asantehene King Osei Tutu II.
. Upon the return from exile of the Asantehene Nana Prempeh I from the Seychelles Islands, the building was offered to him for use as his residence. This was because prior to the Asantehene's exile, his old palace had been burnt down in the Yaa Asentewa War
. The war was fought between the British and the Asantes because of the refusal of the Asantehene to offer the Golden stool to the then governor of the Gold Coast
. Prempeh I only accepted the offer after he had paid for the cost of the building in full. Two kings lived in the palace, namely Otumfuo Prempeh I and Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, K.B.E., the 13th and 14th Kings of the Asante Nation. The old palace was converted into a museum in 1995 after the new palace was built. Opoku Ware II
was the first king to live in the new palace, which he occupied until his death in 1999. The current Asantehene, Osei Tutu II
, currently resides in the new palace.
of his accession to the Golden Stool. It was used as the office of the Kings. It served as Administrative headquarters of Asante Nation from 1925-1974 until Otumfuo Opoku Ware II moved from this office to the new residence at Manhyia. Several artefacts are displayed in the museum. They include furniture used by the Kings, the bronze head of Nana Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, a sketch map of the Asanteman. There is also Asanteman's first television
at the museum as well as life size wax
effigies of some of the kings and queens of Asanteman.
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, the capital of the Ashanti region
Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region is the third largest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 24389 square kilometers or 10.2 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 3,612,950 in 2000,...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. The first palace is now a palace museum. King Opoku Ware II
Opoku Ware II
Otumfuo Opoku Ware II was the fifteenth King of the Ashanti people in Ghana.The future monarch was born under the name Jacob Matthew Poku in Kumasi, central Ghana, then still the British colony Gold Coast, in 1919 into the Ashanti royal family...
built the new palace which is close to the old one and is used by the current Asantehene King Osei Tutu II.
History of the palace
The palace is a kilometer from the Centre for National Culture, Kumasi. It was built in 1925 by the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Upon the return from exile of the Asantehene Nana Prempeh I from the Seychelles Islands, the building was offered to him for use as his residence. This was because prior to the Asantehene's exile, his old palace had been burnt down in the Yaa Asentewa War
War of the Golden Stool
The War of the Golden Stool, also known as the Yaa Asantewaa War, the Third Ashanti Expedition, the Ashanti Uprising, or variations thereof, was the final war in a series of conflicts between the British Imperial government of the Gold Coast and the Empire of Ashanti, a powerful, semi-autonomous...
. The war was fought between the British and the Asantes because of the refusal of the Asantehene to offer the Golden stool to the then governor of the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
. Prempeh I only accepted the offer after he had paid for the cost of the building in full. Two kings lived in the palace, namely Otumfuo Prempeh I and Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, K.B.E., the 13th and 14th Kings of the Asante Nation. The old palace was converted into a museum in 1995 after the new palace was built. Opoku Ware II
Opoku Ware II
Otumfuo Opoku Ware II was the fifteenth King of the Ashanti people in Ghana.The future monarch was born under the name Jacob Matthew Poku in Kumasi, central Ghana, then still the British colony Gold Coast, in 1919 into the Ashanti royal family...
was the first king to live in the new palace, which he occupied until his death in 1999. The current Asantehene, Osei Tutu II
Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II
King Otumfuo Osei Tutu, is the 16th Asantehene, King of the Ashanti. He ascended the Golden Stool on 26 April 1999. By name, he is in direct succession to the founder of the Empire of Ashanti, Otumfuo Osei Tutu I.-Family:...
, currently resides in the new palace.
Major activities at Manhyia
The palace courtyard hosts numerous important Ashante traditional events. These include the Adae festival, which occurs every sixth Sunday when the Asantehene receives homage from his subjects and subservient chiefs.The palace museum
The first palace which was built by the British, was converted into a museum and official opened on 12 August 1995 by the then king, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II. The opening of the museum was part of activities that marked the Silver JubileeSilver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of his accession to the Golden Stool. It was used as the office of the Kings. It served as Administrative headquarters of Asante Nation from 1925-1974 until Otumfuo Opoku Ware II moved from this office to the new residence at Manhyia. Several artefacts are displayed in the museum. They include furniture used by the Kings, the bronze head of Nana Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, a sketch map of the Asanteman. There is also Asanteman's first television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
at the museum as well as life size wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
effigies of some of the kings and queens of Asanteman.