Manhyia Palace Museum Reopens with Restored Treasures and Asantehene’s Silver Jubilee Celebrations

A ceremony was held at Manhyia to mark the reopening of the Manhyia Palace Museum, as part of the activities celebrating the Asantehene’s Silver Jubilee.

The museum, a significant tourism destination in Ghana, had been temporarily closed for renovations aimed at enhancing services for the numerous tourists, both local and international, who visit the museum.

The newly reopened museum now features restored treasures that were looted during the Sagrenti War. In a landmark agreement, four British institutions have returned 32 royal treasures plundered from the Asante Kingdom about 150 years ago. These treasures, including items from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), are now on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum under a three-year loan agreement. The Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, also repatriated seven artefacts, including the sword of state, gold badges of officials, and a gold lute harp, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the splendor of Ashanti history and culture.

The reopening ceremony, titled “Reopening of Manhyia Palace Museum and Asante Regalia Homecoming Exhibition,” was officiated by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The event was attended by the Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, and representatives from the partner museums in Britain. The Asantehene led a delegation to tour the exhibited artefacts in the museum.

In his remarks, the Asantehene expressed pride in the artefacts displayed at the museum, stating that they are a reflection of his forefathers’ struggles for the liberation of the Asantes. He highlighted the ongoing negotiations with foreign museums as a positive step towards creating open market opportunities for local artisans and boosting the local economy. He also called for a partnership between the Manhyia Palace Museum, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and international partners to develop a program to support arts training in Ghana.

As part of his upcoming visits to England for further negotiations, the Asantehene pledged to engage with Ghanaian artists to support the initiative of putting Ghana and Africa on the international market through arts and culture. Two books, “A History of Manhyia Palace” by Ivor Agyeman-Duah and “Images of Ghana” by Malcom Donard McLeod, were also launched at the event in commemoration of the Asantehene’s Silver Jubilee.