Photos from
Posuban
Shrines
in
Ghana, Africa
Mankessim
Unique to
Ghana's central coastal region, posubans, are elaborate concrete shrines in the
urban areas of Fante settlements. These shrines are the work of Asafo
companies, the patrilineal military units that are a feature of most Akan
societies.
Once responsible for the defense of the town, now are more ceremonial.
Many posubans originated as storage houses for arms and company regalia. While the actual sites are quite ancient, their present form is probably post-independence.
The art, though African, draws on western themes, looking somewhat out of place in traditional Africa.
the
caretaker of the shrine
(for a contribution he tells a detailed history of Ghana
and the representations on the shrine.)
Detail of the shrine in Mankessim
One of the shrines in Anomabu
More from Anomabu Traditional Area
