Yendi, Ghana: Tourism in the World Centre
Yendi is found in Ghana, West Africa and is the administrative and political capital of Dagbon. iI is home to the King and Overlord of Dagbon Kingdom, the Yaa Naa and Gundo Naa, the Woman King. Rich in cultural heritage, Yendi boasts significant tourist attractions. Moreover, it holds global importance as the Greenwich Meridian line runs through its heart, marking it as a central point on the world map.
Top six tourist Attractions in Yendi
The tourist attractions in Yendi include the Yaa Naa Palace, Gundo Naa Palace, Naa Dataa Tua, German Cemetery, Tomb of Babatu, and the Greenwich Meridian Line, as detailed below.
Yaa Naa Palace or Gbewaa Palace (Overlord and King of Dagbon)
Gbewaa Palace serves as the traditional residence of the Yaa-Naa, the paramount chief and overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom. The Palace is called Gbewaa because Dagombas are descendants of Naa Gbewaa. Also, Naa Gbewaa was the legend who started chieftaincy in Mole Dagbon called NAM. However, the son of Naa Gbewaa, Sitobu, founded the Dagbon Kingdom and named the kingship “Yaa Naa,” which means “King of Strength or Absolute Power.” Hence, the lion symbolizes the “Yani” or “Yendi Skin or Skinship” of Dagbon. Therefore, only the Yaa Naa and Gbewaa Palace can use the lion emblem. Traditionally, the Yaa Naa and his sub-chiefs in Dagbon sit on a stack of skins. Therefore, when a new Yaa Naa assumes the paramount chief position in Dagbon, he is said to be“enskinned,” the act is called “enskinment.”
The Yaa Naa is the final authority in Dagbon, and every other king, including the Gundo Naa, is under him. Therefore, he leads development, decision-making, and peace activities in the Kingdom. The present Yaa Naa is called Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II. Gbewaa Palace is pivotal in preserving and disseminating Dagbon culture and traditions. Gbewaa Palace and Yaa Naa continue to welcome visitors, scholars, and cultural enthusiasts to broaden their minds and experiences of Dagbon and Yendi’s heritage and unique culture.
Gundo Naa Palace: The Woman King
Though the Dagbon Kingdom and Dagomba people are patrilineal, and the first son and heir of the Yaa Naa is entitled to the Yendi Skin or Yani, the female daughters are also regarded highly. Interestingly, the first female daughter of the Yaa Naa is also entitled to the “Gundogu Skin” and becomes Gundo Naa (King of Gundogu). Gundogu is reserved for only the female heirs of the Yaa Naa and is the highest female authority in the Kingdom of Dagbon. The position of Gundo Naa is not equal to the position of Yaa Naa. She is under the Gbewaa Palace. Gundo Naa rules over all females in Dagbon; other female chiefs are under her. As the King of Gundogu, she rules over men in Gundogu, and her council of elders is composed of men subordinate to her. She is the woman king of Ghana, Africa(1).
The current Gundo Naa, Hajia Samata Abudu, was born on March 9, 1926, and is 98 years old, almost a century old. She is a legend and one of the oldest senior citizens in Ghana. A study showed that Gundo Naa takes charge of the ‘Yoodoya’(traditional spiritual stick) during the annual rituals and sacrifices which Yaa Naa and his elders perform for peace and development in Dagbon1. She is consulted in the chieftaincy affairs in Dagbon, enskinments, funerals, and festivals. She rides horses and upholds traditions. Therefore, to have a real-life experience of the female king in Africa, visit Gundo Naa palace in Yendi.
Naa Dataa Tua (King’s Rival Baobab tree)
In Dagbon Kingdom, it is forbidden for a man to have a sexual affair with another man’s wife. It is, therefore, a grave sin worthy of beheading for a man to have sex with any of the wives of the Yaa Naa or King of Dagbon (The Lion King).
Naa Dataa Tua is a sacred and huge baobab tree with “yogu” (big hole) in Yendi that plays a vital role in deterring people from having sexual affairs with the wives of the Yaa Naa. According to historians, anyone caught in the act or proven guilty of having a sexual affair with any wife of the Yaa Naa was beheaded, their heads shoved into the big Baobab yogu.
It is called Naa Data Tua or King’s Rival Baobab tree because it was where men who had sexual affairs with the King’s wives and became the Yaa Naa’s rivals by the act met their end through punishment by beheading. This was practiced to ensure another man’s child did not become the King of Dagbon through an affair with the King’s wife, who might give birth to the first male child and heir to the Yani or Yendi Skin.
Today, animals are sacrificed instead of people to appease the gods for the grave sins committed.
Naa Dataa Tua is a cultural heritage site and a tourist attraction in Yendi, which highlights some of the cultural practices that were carried out to uphold the bloodline of the Yaa Naa and the dignity of the Yendi Skin. It also portrays the graveness of having a sexual affair with a married woman, especially the wife of the Yaa Naa, and the need to respect and uphold faithfulness in marriage by both men and women.
German Cemetery in Yendi (Battle of Adibo or Adibo Dali)
The German Cemetery is the resting place of the German soldiers and colonists who died during the battle of Adibo or Adibo Dali. In the early to late 1890s, Europeans had progressed their plans to make the Kingdom of Dagbon a protectorate. The Germans, British, and French sought to divide the kingdom among themselves, though the Dagbon King and his warriors resisted colonialism for several years.
However, among the Europeans, the Germans had the upper hand and established a military base at Adibo, a suburb of the Yendi Municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana. The Germans were determined to add Dagbon to their protectorate and, therefore, sent Lieutenant Valentin von Massow to quell the rebellion. He was accompanied by German troops called Schutztruppe and local African soldiers serving in the European military called Askari or Ascari2.
But, the people of Dagbon had their own plans. On December 3, 1896, they attacked Valentin von Massow and his troops on their way to their military base at Adibo. The warriors of the Dagbon Kingdom were defeated on December 4, 1896, and Yendi, the Capital of Dagbon, was destroyed and razed to the ground by the German troops. The Germans established the Togoland protectorate, which included the Eastern part of the Dagbon Kingdom and handed the Western part of Dagbon to the British. However, on the first day of the Adibo battle, the great Dagbon warriors made significant progress and killed some of the German military troop members in Yendi.
Today, the German cemetery in Yendi is the graveyard and final resting place for the German military soldiers whom the Dagbon warriors killed during the Battle of Adibo or Adibo Dali.
The German cemetery is a heritage site that reminds Dagombas of the battle of Adibo, the bravery of Dagbon ancestors, and the loss suffered in protecting their own resources and heritage. It is also a reminder to the Germans of the loved ones they lost in their quest to conquer and control the Dagbon people and resources.
The place is now a tourist destination, reminding us that war is not good for both the less powerful and the most powerful. Everyone suffers loss irrespective of who has the most power; hence, war, battles, and conflicts must be avoided for peace and prosperity to reign.
Tomb of Babatu, the Notorious Slave Raider in Africa
Mahama Dan Issah Alias Baba Ato, popularly known as Babatu, was a notorious slave raider in the northern part of Ghana. He was a Zambarma military leader and a warlord over the Zabarma emirate in the 19th century and a descendant of modern-day Niger. He fought many tribes in the North and captured and sold them as slaves to the Europeans. He later died and was buried at Yendi in the Northern Region of Ghana. Babatu’s tomb and house in Yendi is a tourist attraction. Some of his war weapons of destruction are still found in a room in his house. Babatu’s tomb is a reminder that no one will be spared death regardless of their power. Therefore, suppressing and killing others in the name of power or resources will not make you immortal. You will join them in the most uncertain way, as characterized by death. Therefore, let us show more love and empathy towards each other.
The Greenwich Meridian Line
Yendi stands as a unique city both in Ghana and the world, distinguished by the passage of the Greenwich Meridian through its heart. Situated at Lat. 9.26°N and Long. 0.00°, within Ghana’s Northern Region in West Africa, Yendi holds a remarkable geographical significance. As one of the few human settlements positioned closest to the equator where the Eastern and Western hemispheres converge, it is a compelling destination for travellers and geography enthusiasts alike. The Greenwich Meridian line intersects Yendi, with the notable Yendi Hospital lying a mere 400 meters to the east of this significant divide. This alignment makes Yendi an essential stop for tourists, particularly for those interested in exploring the intersection of mathematics, geography, and science.
If you are looking for a place to experience history, heritage, culture, real-life woman King, and geography, Yendi, Ghana, West Africa, is the best place to visit.
By: Huzeima Mahamadu (Researcher and Storyteller)
References
- Mohammed, Y., Alhassan, E., & Sayibu, M. S. (2022). Female Chiefs in Dagbon Traditional Area: Role and Challenges in the Northern Region of Ghana. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Research, 8(2), 57–81. https://doi.org/10.37745/ijsar.15/vol8n2pp5781 ↩︎
- https://www2.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/2010_District_Report/Northern/Yendi.pdf ↩︎