Nzulezo

Nzulezo village

Nzulezo village

Nzulezo is a village located near the village of Beyin, 90 kilometers west of Takoradi, in the Jomoro District jomoro the Western Region of Ghana.^[1]

Nzulezu overlooks Lake Tadane, and is entirely made up of stilts and platforms. In 2000, it was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a major tourist attraction area.^[1]

Etymology[]

The name "Nzulezo" in the Nzema language means "water surface", and is a village on stilts of "Ewuture" origin situated close to the northwest shore.^[2] The "Ewuture" maintained the waterways and transportation of goods and people.^[2] According to local legend, the village was built by a group of people from Oualata, a city in the ancient Ghana Empire and in present-day Mauritania, which came about from following a snail. The snail is therefore a totem and revered by the people of Nzulezo.^[3]

Construction[]

Nzulezu was built over Lake Tadane. The settlement of Nzulezo consists of stilt-supported structures.^[1]

The reason Nzulezo was built over water was for protection and safety during attacks in times of war since it lies five miles inland of the Southwest shores.^[2] The main activities of its inhabitants is agriculture, while fishery plays a secondary role. The lake is perceived by the local population to protect against certain risks (e.g. a fire).^[1]

Education[]

There is a primary school and after primary school learners have to leave the village to go for secondary schools and universities.^[4]

World Heritage Status[]

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on January 17, 2000, in the Cultural category.^[1]

The village was nominated to become a World Heritage Site for its importance in anthropology: in addition to being one of the few ancient settlements on stilts and platforms left in the world, there is a preserved wealth of local traditions connected with the cult of the lake.^[1] Lake Tadane occurs on the banks of all religious rites, and Thursday, is a day sacred to the lake, and it is forbidden to use and work on the lake for any activity throughout the day of Thursday.^[1]

Nzulezo Canoe Transport

In recent times the village has been opened to tourism, but with certain constraints (visitations are allowed only once a week).^[1] The village can be reached only by a canoe; the route, which crosses the rain forest, takes about an hour to 5 km away. In the village there is a church and a school. As the village is extremely isolated, Nzulezo suffers from numerous health problems, including the vast spread of malaria.^[1]

Nearby sites[]

Ankasa Nature Reserve
Fort Apollonia
Childhood home of Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of an independent Ghana

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Nzulezu Stilt Settlement - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Retrieved on 2009-03-26.
^ ^a ^b ^c Valsecchi, Pierluigi (2011). Power and state formation in West Africa : Appolonia from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century. Allan Cameron. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-37069-2. OCLC 892799728.
^ "Nzulezo Stilt Village". touringghana.com. 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
^ Aisha Salaudeen and Rachel Wood. "Ghana's floating village is trying to balance its ancient traditions in a modern world". CNN. Retrieved 2021-01-05.

Coordinates: 05°01′14″N 02°35′52″W / 5.02056°N 2.59778°W / 5.02056; -2.59778

[unesco-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Nzulezu Stilt Settlement - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Retrieved on 2009-03-26.

[:0-2] Valsecchi, Pierluigi (2011). Power and state formation in West Africa : Appolonia from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century. Allan Cameron. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-37069-2. OCLC 892799728.

[3] "Nzulezo Stilt Village". touringghana.com. 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2021-01-05.

[4] Aisha Salaudeen and Rachel Wood. "Ghana's floating village is trying to balance its ancient traditions in a modern world". CNN. Retrieved 2021-01-05.

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