Nzulezo is a village located near the village of

Beyin Beyin is a village in the Jomoro district, a district in the Western Region of Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, 90 kilometers west of

Takoradi Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city and an indu ...

, in the

Jomoro District Jomoro Municipal District (a.k.a. Nzema West Municipal District) is one of the fourteen districts in Western Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988 when it was known as Jomoro District, which was created from ...

jomoro the Western Region of

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. Over 500 people live in the community. Nzulezu overlooks Lake Tadane, and is entirely made up of

stilts Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, wav ...

and platforms. In 2000, it was nominated as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

, and is a major tourist attraction area. The site is increasingly a source of tourism, with tourist coming to experience the village as well as a local alcohol produced in the village.

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. The "Ewuture" maintained the waterways and transportation of goods and people. According to local legend, the village was built by a group of people from

Oualata , settlement_type = Commune and town , image_skyline = Oualata 03.jpg , imagesize = 300px , image_caption = View of the town looking in a southeasterly direction , image ...

, a city in the ancient

Ghana Empire The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadou ( ar, غانا) or Awkar, was a West African empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali that existed from c. 300 until 1100. The Empire was founded by the Soninke people, an ...

and in present-day Mauritania, which came about from following a

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class G ...

. The snail is therefore a totem and revered by the people of Nzulezo.

Construction

Nzulezu was built over Lake Tadane. The settlement of Nzulezo consists of stilt-supported structures.Nzulezu Stilt Settlement - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Retrieved on 2009-03-26. 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. The main activities of its inhabitants is

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, while fishery plays a secondary role. The lake is perceived by the local population to protect against certain risks (e.g. a fire). The village did have some of the houses partially submerged from a flood in 2009.

Services

The village has a limited number of nurses and health care capacity. There is a primary school and after primary school learners have to leave the village to go for secondary schools and universities. However, as of 2019 there were a shortage of teachers for the community.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Tentative List on January 17, 2000, in the Cultural category. 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

and platforms left in the world, there is a preserved wealth of local traditions connected with the cult of the lake. 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. Nzulezo Ghana's only stilt village

In recent times the village has been opened to

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

, but with certain constraints (visitations are allowed only once a week). The village can be reached only by a

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

; the route, which crosses the

rain forest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...

, takes about an hour to 5 km away. In the village there is a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

and a

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes comp ...

. As the village is extremely isolated, Nzulezo suffers from numerous health problems, including the vast spread of

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

Nearby sites

*Ankasa Nature Reserve *

Fort Apollonia Fort Apollonia is a fort in Beyin, Ghana. The name Apollonia was given to the area by a Portuguese explorer who sighted the place on the Feast of Saint Apollonia, 9 February. Because of its importance during the European colonial period and its te ...

*Childhood home of Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of an independent Ghana

Gallery

File:Nzulenzu bamboo house community.jpg, Nzulezo bamboo house community File:Nzulezo-3.jpg, Nzulezo at daytime

References

{{Authority control Populated places in the Western Region (Ghana) Ghanaian culture Tourism in Ghana Tourist attractions in Ghana World Heritage Tentative List