Ghana hosts some of the rich history of Africa and it’s a land filled with amazing historical destinations. From the slave castles to the great Ashanti kingdom and our lakes. There are many destinations here to learn more about Africa history and one of these places is the National Museum of Ghana.
The largest and capital city, Accra host this museum, it is said to be the largest and oldest of the six historical museums under the administration of the Ghana Museum and Monuments Board (GMMB).
The National Museum of Ghana building was opened on 5 March 1957 as part of Ghana’s independence celebrations. The official opening was performed by the Duchess of Kent, Princess Marina. During then the Museum’s first Director was A.W. Lawrence. He was a British authority on classical sculpture and architecture. He was Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology at Cambridge University in the 1940s.
There are so many objects to discover at the museum like the objects of archaeology, ethnography as well as fine art. Objects at the archaeology section range from the stone age period to the recent historical past.
Some of the objects on permanent exhibition at the ethnography gallery include chief’s regalia, indigenous Ghanaian musical instruments, gold-weights, beads, traditional textiles, stools, and pottery.
National Museum of Ghana doesn’t host only objects in Ghana, there are also objects from other African countries acquired through exchange. Some of these objects are Senfu masks from La Cote D’ Ivoire, Zulu wooden figures, and bead-ware from Southern Africa. There are also ancient Ife bronze heads from Nigeria and Bushongo carvings from the Congo. Exhibits at the small but impressive art gallery consist mainly of contemporary Ghanian paintings executed in oil, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, and collages.
There are other hidden objects in the museum and I can’t explain why those objects are hidden. I believe there must be a good reason for that. Slightly hidden away is the chair used in Kwame Nkrumah’s inauguration and the chair of the last British governor, rescued from Christianborg Castle. There’s also a gallery with pieces by Ghanaian artists.
The National Museum of Ghana in host thousands of local and foreign tourists every year. It’s a must-visit museum in Ghana.