Upper West Region Tourist Attractions

Wa Naa’s Palace
The 19th century palace with its distinctive architecture is the official residence of the Wa Naa, traditional chief of the Walas. In front of the palace are graves of previous Wa Naas.

Gbollu Defence Wall
Gbollu, 70km north of Wa, was part of the slave route. In the 1`9th century Gbollu Koro Liman built the wall as part of its defence against the slavers

George Ferguson’s Tomb
George Ekem Fergusion was a Ghanaian colonial agent who was instrumental in convincing local chiefs to sign treaties of friendship with the British. He was later (1897) killed by slave raiders, but his tomb preserved in Wa

Festivals

Gologo/Golib festival
This festival is celebrated in March by the Talensis of Tong-Zug just before the planting of grain. During the three-day festival, sacrifices are offered to the gods for plentiful rain and good harvest. There are no durbars except the performing of a series of rituals climaxed by public dancing amidst music and general merry-making.

Fao Festival
It is held at Paga, Chiana, Kayoro in the Page/Chiana and Kayoro Traditional Areas between November and February. It is a thanksgiving offering for good harvest. During the festival, the people display stalks of their first harvest of millet as a sign of sacrifice, and thankfulness to the gods.

Samanpiid Festival
It is celebrated by the Kusasis in the Bawku Traditional Area in November and December every year. its significance is to give thanks to the gods for good harvest. There are hosts of sacrifices followed by merry-making to climax it.

Kusasis are a tribe in the north eastern and the south eastern part of Ghana and Burkina Fasso (Boulgou Province), respectively in West Africa. In Burkina Fasso, the neighboring language to the west is Nankani, a related dialect to Frafra and to the north and east, the Bissa. Kusasis in Ghana are north of the Gambaga scarp. To the west are the Talensi, Frafra and Nabdem; to the south are the Mamprusis and east are the Bimoba and Moba. Kusasis occupy about 700 and 3,300 square km in Burkina Fasso and Ghana, respectively. They occupy two administrative districts in Ghana known as Bawku East and Bawku West Districts in the Upper East Region. About 75% of Kusasis live in Ghana and the language spoken by Kusasis is known as Kusaal. Kusasis speak two dialects depending on geographic location. Kusaal’s western dialect is known as Tuan and the eastern dialect is called Agol. The language is closely related to Dagbani and Mampruli, Frafra and Moore. In Ghana, Zebilla is the administrative town for the Bawku West and Bawku is the administrative town for Bawku East District. Bawku West include towns like Tilli, Binaba, Kusanaba, Zongbeyire, Sapeliga and Kobori and was recently carved from Bawku East District in 1988. Towns in Bawku East include Bazua, Binduri, Pusiga and Garu.

Feok Festival
This is the annual festival of the people of Sandema in the Builsa. It is held in December. It is celebrated through the display of war dance by various communities. There is also a durber of the chiefs and people to climax it.

Adaakoya Festival
Adaakoya is celebrated at Bolgatanga and Zuarungu by the Gurunsis. It is held between January and February every year. The festival serves to give thanks to the gods for good harvest. The mode of celebration is through various sacrifices followed by drumming and dancing. The climax is a durbar of the chiefs and people.

Kuure Festival
This is the festival of the people of Zaare who are predominatly blacksmiths. The Festival symbolizes the “”Kuure”" which is the Gurune word for hoe. The hoe is their main tool for farming and for that matter, livelihood.

It is usually held in January/February every year. It is Characterised by various sacrifices and later followed by drumming and dancing.

Also, the People of Tindongsobligo near Bolgatanga on Wednesday celebrated their annual “”Yagle-Kuure”" festival with a call on the people of the area to desist from indiscriminate bush burning especially in sacred grove and shrine areas. The Yagle-Kuure Festival is organised annually by the people of Tindongsobligo as a family ritual for thanksgiving to God and their ancestors for blessing them with abundant food and also for protecting them throughout the year.

Tengana Festival
As a thankgiving offering, the Tengana Festival is held at balungu, Winkongo and Pwalugu, all in the Tongo Traditional Area. It is one of the festivals for the Telensis. It is climaxed by traditional music and dancing amidst genral merry-making.

Damba Festival
The Damba festival is celebrated by the Mamprusis. The main venue of the celebration is Bawku and its environs. It is held between the months of July and August. Originally linked with Islam to mark the birth of Mohammed, the festival has gradually taken on a traditional rather than Islamic tone. The 2-day festival is full of pageantry and showmanship and is celebrated in the towns of Dagbon, Gonjaland, Mamprusiland and Nanumbaland.

Boaram Festival
Boaram is the festival for the Talensis in the Bongo Tradition Area who reside at Bongo. It is held between october and November every year.