The old palace of the Ashanti kings has been converted into an absorbing museum. Guided tours take you through rooms filled with historical objects, royal regalia, and photographs of the Ashanti rulers. The current Asantehene still holds court in the adjacent modern palace. The Akwasidae ceremony, held every six weeks on a Sunday, is one of the most spectacular displays of traditional authority in West Africa — worth timing your visit around if you can.
Manhyia Palace Museum
Ashanti royal palace turned museum, with ceremonial regalia and guided tours
A story
In 1900, the British exiled Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I to the Seychelles after his refusal to accept a protectorate. He was kept there for 25 years. When he finally returned in 1924, the Ashanti had managed without a king for a quarter century — and the kingdom had not collapsed. The British were surprised.