The Yatenga Naaba is the traditional paramount chief of the Yatenga region, and his palace in Ouahigouya remains the center of Mossi traditional governance for this part of northern Burkina Faso. The Naaba holds weekly audiences and presides over important ceremonies tied to the agricultural calendar and the Mossi ritual year.
Visitors cannot simply walk into the palace compound, but the area around it gives a sense of the continuing authority of the traditional chieftaincy. On ceremonial days, the elaborate greetings and processions that surround the Naaba's appearances — horsemen, drummers, followers in traditional dress — are one of the most vivid living displays of Mossi court culture outside of Ouagadougou. If you are in Ouahigouya during a significant ceremony, ask your hotel about the timing.