The city was the capital of theAsante Empire, which at its peak covered large parts of present-day Ghana and theIvory Coast.[10]: 9 After being taken over by theBritish in 1896 coupled with experiencing a fast population growth, Kumasi rapidly grew with improvements to its infrastructure, such as roads and the addition of railways. After Ghana gained its independence in 1957, the city became the capital of the Ashanti Region. Kumasi remains the seat of theAsantehene. The city is often regarded as "The Garden City" afterMaxwell Fry published his 1945 "Garden City of West Africa" plan for the city.[14] Additionally, it is also due to the abundance of gardens and forestry in the city.[9]
Kumasi is a commercial, economic, and trading hub in Ghana, home to the biggest market inWest Africa: theKejetia Market. The city is the centre of Asante culture, hence also being nicknamed "Osei-Krom" or simply "Oseikrom", along with attracting many visitors.[10]: 9 The city is also home to numerous trade associations, such as the Aboabo Talia Producers'Association. Half of the country'stimber processing takes place in the city. TheCentre for National Culture,Wesley College of Education, andKomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are all located in the city.[8]: 10 [12] The city is also home to an increasingly growing film industry,Kumawood, which mainly focuses on telling local-themed stories in the local language ofTwi.
Kumasi derived from theTwi wordKumase, meaning "under the kum tree" in whichkum meant "the tree" andase means "under". The word was the name of anOkum tree in Kwaman, planted byOkomfo Anokye.[7]
Kente weaver on Adum Street in Kumasi, Ghana, 1819
Kumasi was founded in the 1680s by AsanteheneOsei Kofi Tutu I as the capital of the Ashanti Empire.[15][16][17][18] Various accounts exist on the formation of the city. One states that Osei Tutu negotiated for the land under a Kum Tree, providing the origin of the name Kumasi.[12] Other oral sources state it wasNana Oti Akenten who negotiated with the chief ofTafo for a plot of land under a Kum tree.[19] Other traditions indicate that Oti built Kwaman and it was his sonNana Obiri Yeboa who created Kumasi instead. The majority of oral sources attribute the choice of site toOkomfo Anokye who was said to have planted two Kum seeds; one in Kwaman and another in Kumawu as he decreed that the one which grew would be designated as the capital of Osei Tutu's empire.[20] Kumasi was built over the eastern slopes of aridge, rising from themarshes of the Nsuben rivers.[21]
The city rose to prominence in 1695, when it became the capital of theAshanti Empire due to the activities of its ruler,Osei Tutu.[23] The ruler of Kumasi, known as theAsantehene, also served as the ruler of the empire. With their1701 victory overDenkyira, the Ashanti empire became the primary state among theAshantis.[24] In 1718–19,Aowin King Ebirimoro invaded Kumasi and sacked the capital.[25] AsanteheneOpoku Ware I was able to "beat back" this invasion.[26]
European sources in the late 19th century mentioned the city's neatness such as the account of F. Boyle in 1874 who stated that Kumasi's smells "are never those of sewage" as well as Brackenbury, who wrote around 1873 that "the streets are generally very broad and clean, and ornamented with many beautiful banyan-trees affording grateful shade from the powerful rays of the sun."[27] In contrast, William Butler described the city as "a filthier, and far more blood-stained collection of mud and wattle hovels than any other village in the forest."[28] Parts of the city, including the then royal residence, were burnt by theBritish in theThird Anglo-Ashanti War of 1874.[29]
In 1888,R. Austin Freeman was disappointed with the ruins of Kumasi following theBritish destruction in 1874 and the Ashanti civil war before 1888.
Kumasi was a great disappointment to me, and my disappointment increased as Iwalked round and examined the town. It was not merely that so little existed, but that so much had been destroyed. As it stands, or then stood, the town was nothing more than a large clearing in the forest, over which were scattered, somewhat irregularly, groups of houses. The paths were dirty and ill kept, and between the groups of houses large patches of waste ground intervened, and on these, amidst the tall, coarse grass that covered them, were to be seen the remains of houses that had once occupied them. These houses once stood in wide and regular streets, but since the destruction of the city in 1874 the natives do not seem to have had heart to rebuild them. Yet there remained some few vestiges to show what Kumasi had been in its palmy days... A few broad, well-kept streets still existed, lined by houses, [of] ... admirable construction, careful and artistic finish and excellent repair...
Kumasi's population during the time of the Ashanti Empire varied. In the early 19th century, Ashanti sources estimated a populace of 100,000, while European sources gave a figure around 12–15,000.[30] According to historianIvor Wilks, the city may have had a population of 40,000 in the 1860s.[31]
Lady Mary Alice Hodgson, the first English lady to visit Ashanti, wrote "The Siege of Kumasi", an account of the siege of the fort by thenationals of Ashanti and of the subsequent march to the coast.[32] (She was the daughter of Hon. W. A. G. Young, CMG, former governor of theGold Coast, and the wife of SirFrederick Mitchell Hodgson, KCMG, the governor of the Gold Coast in 1900.[32])
In 1926, following the return of the Ashanti KingPrempeh I after 30-year in exile in the Seychelles Island, Kumasi was vested with ceremonial control over the Ashanti sub-states. The full role of king was restored by the colonial administration in 1935. The city holds an important place in the history of the Ashanti people, as legend claims that it was here Okomfo Anokye received thegolden stool, an embodiment of the soul of Ashanti nation.[33]
Due to large amounts ofencroachment, water pollution in the city is increasing, threatening rivers such as the Wiwi and the Subin. A 2024 report said that in the Kumasi Metropolitan, "more land alongside the rivers was being used for industrial, residential and commercial purposes than for green spaces." The researchers criticized that "city authorities were ineffective in controlling development in these areas" and recommended that "there should be a buffer of 100 feet (30 metres) along water bodies."[34]
Kumasi has atropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classificationAw), with two distinct rainy seasons, major and minor. The major season usually occurs from March to July whilst the minor season is from September to November. The annual rainfall clocks in at around 1,200 mm (3.9 ft) while the relative humidity ranges around 53% to 93%. The average monthly mean temperatures are around 31 °C (88 °F) while the monthly minimum temperatures are about 22 °C (72 °F).[35]
Climate data for Kumasi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1984–2020)
Historically, the city was planned based on traditional land settlement patterns and land use systems of theAsante Empire. Although the city was not "formally" planned, it was considered to be well-organized with physical structures complying to the local culture and architecture.[38] Some areas of Kumasi were declared as sacred.[39] At the time of Bowdich's visit in 1817, Kumasi was documented to have contained 27 streets. Another source in the mid-1880s identified 50 streets.[31] In the present time, Kumasi is described as having unregulated informal activities, overdevelopment of slums, rapid urban growth, and poor services.[38]: 5
Compound houses are the most popular style of housing in Kumasi, being able to house 8 to 15 households on average. A typical compound house is usually a one-storey building containing single rooms surrounding a square courtyard. They are usually built using low-cost construction materials and by local labour.[40] A 1996 study found that approximately 20% of home owners actually own their homes and more than 60% are migrants, either foreign or from other parts of Ghana.[41]
Aside from compounds, non-compound housing tends to be in the form of eitherbungalows or two-storey buildings set in substantially spacious plots or of apartment buildings. Additionally, there is also a small government sector of relatively small, single household dwellings. These non-compound types only constitute around 43% of houses. In 1986, only 12% of households (close to all of which were in non-compound housing) had toilets which was not shared with other households and 30% had no access to a toilet in the house. Owners have tended to have much better access to services that other tenure groups, where 46% have exclusive use of a toilet while only 14% has none.[42]
*estimate Note: This does not count for the city of Kumasi, rather the metropolitan as a whole. Source: Ghana Statistical Service.[b]
The population of the city of Kumasi is 443,981 people while the population of the metropolitan area is 3,490,030 people.[3][4] One out of every five people in Kumasi are Christian, followed by Islam andtraditional African religions. The largest ethnic group in the city is theAsante, followed by theMole-Dagbon andEwe people. Most of the population was born outside of the municipality, with about half being born outside the region.[5]: 36, 5, 28
Kumasi is the centre ofAsante culture, helping it to be nicknamed "Osei-Krom" or simply "Oseikrom". Kumasi is also known for its traditionaltextile,kente, usually always made using traditional practices. It is home to the largest market in West Africa, theKejetia Market, home to more than 10,000 stores and stalls.[47] Places with cultural background(s) in the city includeFort Kumasi (built by in 1896 to replace an Asante fort and now a museum) and theNurom Hat Museum. Royal Asante attractions include theCentre for National Culture (including thePrempeh II Jubilee Museum with Asanteregalia with a reproduction of the golden stool), theOkomfo AnokyeSword, theAsantehene's Palace (built in 1972), and the Manhyia Palace, dating from 1925, now a museum.[48][12]
Kumasi includes a number ofOrange Lodges in the region, including the Kumasi Orange Lodge No. 13, Osei Tutu Lodge No. 20, and the Morality Lodge No. 90. They are governed by theGrand Orange Lodge of Ghana. They focus on youth development, Orange heritage and history, andChristianity.[49][50]
Media in Kumasi is regulated by the Public Relations Unit of the Kumasi Metropolitan. In total, there are 36 media outlets in the metro; of these, four are television organizations, 20 FM stations, and 13 print media organizations.[51]
Film in Kumasi,Kumawood, is a rapidly growing industry appealing to those who lack access to education but have a passion for acting. The industry mainly focuses on local storylines, along with being set in village surroundings usually on a low budget ranging from $6,860 to $11,440, sharing similarities withWakaliwood. The films are spoken in the local language, which isTwi.[52][53]
The first documentedmovie theatre to open in Kumasi was the Rex cinema, constructed in 1938. It was located at the Prempeh Assembly Hall, which was at the time one of the largest gathering places in the city. A second one was built in 1951, housed about 1,500 seats. These theatres were owned by the West African Picture Company, a Lebanese-owned business that operated in the Gold Coast,Nigeria, and London.Hindi films were popular among residents, more notably the Muslim populations.[54]
A meeting of the Management Committee of the Kumasi Co-operative Union related tocacao
The Ashanti Region accounted for 21% of the total national output of Ghana in 2014, of which 48% was situated in the city of Kumasi alone. This makes the city an economic centre in the country.[38]: 9 Much of the city's wealth is derived from being the middle point of many of Ghana's main roads, along withcacao farming in thehinterland. The main occupations in Kumasi are professional, such asservices and manufacturing.[23]
Since the 1960s the city has been home to many businesses, big and small, contributing to the city's economic growth. In fact, two-thirds of all non-household businesses in Ashanti was in Kumasi. Kaase andSuame are known as heavily industrialized areas, being the home for many mechanic shops and businesses, such asGuinness Ghana Breweries and aCoca-Cola Bottling Company United branch.[38]: 9, para. 2,3
Nine out of every ten households are connected to the nationalelectricity grid.Solar panels are prevalent in Kumasi and throughout the Ashanti region.Solar energy technology is a major energy source and contributor toelectricity generation in the city. Other popular forms of power includeflashlights, candles,gas lamps, andkerosene lamps.[38]: 12, 13 [5]: 63, 74
Much of the shopping and trading activity in the city takes place at Kumasi's shopping streets, in and aroundKejetia Market andAdum. These two areas border each other. There is also heavy economic activities atBantama andAsafo. Asafo in particular is the printing hub of Kumasi. Most of the printing done in Kumasi and Ashanti Region as a whole is done at Asafo. Kumasi'sAhwiaa (a sub-town in Kumasi) is also well noted for itswood carvings and arts.[38]: 9, para. 3
Street hawking is a popular and ever-increasing economic employer in Kumasi, with a 2013 report finding that it appealed to people who lack formal education or the proper financial status to go into other economic activities. Common things that traders sell include water, bread, chocolate,plantain chips,chewing gum, books,puppies and many more.[58]
There are a total of 2545 educational institutions in Kumasi, consisting of 919 pre-schools, 967 primary schools, 597 junior high schools, 52 senior high schools and 10 tertiary (post-secondary education) institutions as of the 2010 census.[5]: 6
After Ghana's got its independence in 1957, education surrounding teaching and research in Kumasi improved as a result of the nation's visions for the future. When theKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology first opened as the College of Technology in Kumasi in 1952, it did not comprise with a school of architecture. The initial idea to create a school of architecture came from the United Nations-related "Report on Housing in the Gold Coast."[59]
Advice was given by Robert Gardner-Medwin, professor of architecture at theUniversity of Liverpool and Louis Matheson, professor of engineering at theUniversity of Manchester to put in place two-year common course for all three departments of the envisioned faculty: Architecture, Building Technology, and Planning. Following their advice, the Department of Architecture in Kumasi admitted its first students in 1958. KNUST transitioned from a college to a university in 1961. Notable educators in Kumasi includedJohn Owusu Addo and Austin Tetteh, both are architects.[59]
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (formerly the Kumasi College of Technology) is the biggest university in the Ashanti Region and the first biggest in Ghana followed by theUniversity of Ghana. FormerSecretary-General of the United Nations,Kofi Annan attended this institution.[5]: 6 [61] A number of other public and private universities and tertiary institutions have since been founded in Kumasi, some of which are listed below.[60]
The city is home to 136 health facilities, most of which are privately owned.[5]: 6 The biggest hospital in Kumasi is theKomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, which is located on a hill that overlooks the city. It is a 750-bed facility and is the second largest hospital in the country. The hospital opened in 1954 and was initially named Kumasi Central hospital. Nurses Training College and the Midwifery Training School, both built around the 40s and 50s, became a part of the hospital upon its completion, eventually becoming theKumasi Nurses and Midwifery Training School.[65] The city is also home to a hospital, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, which started construction in 2008 and was completed in 2023.[66]
Kumasi is one of the few African cities to adopt the Howard'sGarden City Model. This is because in 1945,Maxwell Fry andJane Drew designed the city's first ever development plan based on the ideals of Howard. The plan in questioned focus on the creation of green belts around the city and the proposals of the developments of many parks and urban green spaces in order to stop excessive sprawling and lower air pollutants.[69]: 1, 2 Although, studies showed that by 2003, a great proportion of greens spaces created in Kumasi has been converted to residential uses, due to urbanization and relatively weak land control in the city.[69]: 3
The city is also home to numerous recreational parks and gardens that are open to the public, with the per capita green spaces around 4.7 square metres (51 sq ft).[70]: 7 Some major parks are Abbey's Park, Jackson's Park, Hero's Park, located on the same premises as theBaba Yara Sports Stadium, andRattray Park. Although, the state of most of these parks are poor at best and are barely maintained.[70]: 8 The city is also home to theKumasi Zoo, also known as the Kumasi Zoological Garden, located at the heart of the city. It is operated by the Wildlife Division of theForestry Commission of Ghana. The conditions of the zoo's facilities are poor and are in despair need for repair, according to locals.[70]: 10, 13, 12
An interesting fact about recreational parks in Kumasi is that a 2014 study by B. B. Amasa found that about 34% of the city's residents does not visit parks at all and does not understand the importance of parks. Furthermore, an additional study from 2014 by the same researcher found that 39% of its residents believed that parks were not necessary and should therefore be converted to other uses.[69]: 10
Kumasi is served by thePrempeh I International Airport. As of May 2020, two airlines offered regularly scheduled flights toAccra. Airlines servicing the airport includedAfrica World Airlines andPassion Air. In 2013, the Government of Ghana approved expansion plans to the Kumasi Airport to service international flights into the region. The airport was renovated and completed by October 2022.[71]
The city is home to theAsokwa Interchange, an project that was a part of the Urban Environmental Sanitation Project Phase II.[c] The by-pass is one ofthree interchanges in Kumasi.[73] In 2021, the Government of Ghana announced the construction of afour level stack interchange inSuame. It is currently on its first phase, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.[74][75]
There is public transportation from Kumasi to major cities such asAccra;Tamale,Mim, Ahafo;Cape Coast,Sunyani;Takoradi;Tema;Ho;Wa;Bolgatanga;Elubo;Aflao,Techiman.Public transport in the city is provided bytransit buses, a mix of privately owned mini-buses known astro-tros,taxicabs and buses. Tro-tros are usually converted mini-buses that run regular, well-known routes. Some taxis also run regular routes, which cost more but provide for a more comfortable ride.[5]: 6
In 2002, the city introduced themetro bus services, a rapid transit system for public road transport in Kumasi (MetroMass).[76] This was to reduce congestion on roads and to make a larger and more organized bus routine system in the city.[77] In 2017,Uber introduced services in Kumasi, a year after a successful introduction in Accra.[78]
Kumasi is served by the railway lines toSekondi-Takoradi and Accra. The train service has been suspended for several years because of damaged track, bridges and locomotives. Currently, no trains run to and from Kumasi due to the collapse of the railway corporation. A $6 billion project to upgrade the railways was due to get underway in 2011.[79]
Kumasi is located near theBoankra Inland Port, aninland port situated in theEjisu Municipality. Construction at the port is situated into two phases, with phase one scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. Once finished, more than 7,000 people are expected to be employed at the port, boosting overall productivity of the local economy.[80]
^The Second Urban Environmental Sanitation Project is one of two projects in Ghana which started in 2004, closely connected to theWorld Bank's agenda to addressed needs of upgrading infrastructure and services in “developing countries”.[72]
^Kumasi. Merriam-webster. Retrieved16 September 2024.
^abBrempong, O. (1991)."Twi etymology: a study in ethno-linguistlcs".Research Review.7 (1). Retrieved19 September 2024....Kumasi (the capital of Ashanti), originated when the legendary priest, Okomfo Anokye, planted Okum trees, one at Kwaman...
^Beckett, Ian (2009).Wolseley and Ashanti. The History Press for the Army Records Society. p. 365.ISBN978-0-7524-5180-0.
^David Owusu-Ansah,Historical Dictionary of Ghana, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2014, p. xliii
^abJoseline Donkoh, Wilhelmina (2004). "Kumasi: Ambience of Urbanity and Modernity".Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana (8): 167–183 (169).ISSN0855-3246.JSTOR41406712.S2CID161253857.
^"Kumasi Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved30 September 2023.
^"Ghana–Kumasi". Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas.Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved14 June 2015.
^Tipple, G.; Korboe, D.; Garrod, G.; Willis, K. (May 1999). "Housing supply in Ghana: a study of Accra, Kumasi and Berekum".Progress in Planning.51 (4). sec. 1.1.2.doi:10.1016/S0305-9006(99)00002-1.
^Akuoko, Kofi Osei; Ofori-Dua, Kwadwo; Forkuo, John Boulard (2013). "Women making ends meet: street hawking in Kumasi, challenges and constraints".Michigan Sociological Review.27: 7, 13.JSTOR43150987.
^Melton, J.; Baumann, M. (2010).Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition [6 volumes].ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-1-59884-204-3.
^William A. Shack, Elliott P. Skinner (1979),Strangers in African Societies, University of California Press, p. 186,ISBN978-0-520-03812-7
.jpg)
.jpg)
_location_map.png)
_p344_PLATE_9_-_COOMASSIE%2c_PART_OF_ADAM_STREET.jpg)
_p364_PLATE_11_-_SKETCH_OF_COOMASSIE.jpg)
.png)
_%25E2%2580%2593_Side_view_of_the_College_of_Architecture_and_Planning.JPG)
.jpg)
.svg)
.svg)
