Tours

 

 

 

WELCOME TO SAAKPULI VILLAGE SLAVE MARKET WELLS AND CISTERNS

Saakpuli is a Small friendly village 90kms from Tamale. The people will welcome you warmly and allow you to observe and participate in village life or just snap photos at your leisure. After, Saakpuli served as a slave trade hub in the 1600-1800 century, the village was abandoned until 1969 when Alhassan Yakubu was enskinned as the Chief of Saakpuli. If he is not travelling, you will find him either in his palace or under the village baobab tree.

THE HISTORY

Saakpuli came to the Zenith of its power during the reign of Yaa-Naa Yakubu the I st (1824  1849), during which period the Naa (Chief) of Saakpuli was B 'laima. At that time, Saakpuli was a large village and one of the four most important settlements in Dagbon. Others were Saqvelugu, Karaga and Yendi. Saakpuli boasted of three hundred, twelve pole reception hall houses with young men in each house hold numbering up to sixty.

In addition to the Chiefs impressive possession of power, Saakpuli was a home to a lucrative slave market in the 17th to 19th centuries. This market also acted as a link in transporting human cargo between other slave markets such as Paga to the north and Salaga to the south. Merchants from all over West Africa travelled here to buy, sell and trade in slaves and other goods. Some were eventually taken to Elmina castle, on the Coast, and sold for destinations abroad. The hunting reminders of such a horrifying period in history are still present today including the big baobao tree where slaves were chained to after being bathed and oiled for display in the market.

THE SLAVE MARKET

This is where you will see the original baobao tree and the markings on the three where transactions occurred. The large roots of the tree were used to secure the slaves while awaiting their fate. A mound near the tree is all that remains of the slave warehouse.

SLAVE WELLS AND CISTERNS

Due to a scarce source of drinking water, merchants forced slaves to dig through rocks to reach water. And at a spot there are not less than twenty water cisterns or wells dotted around. Each merchant had a well to himself where he draws water to bath his slaves. And to date, the water cisterns still exist and some of them contain water.

1. Saakpuli, Historic slave site Saakpuli slave market & wells

YOO NAA'S PALACE

Built in 1745, this palace was home of Naa Andani Jengbariga, son of king Gariba. Tour the still occupied palace and leam about chieftaincy and palace culture.

YOGGU

Visit the village where the 1 ^st Dagomba chief settled. View his relic, join in a cerememial visit to his burial shine, see the hoe blade in it's exact spot as he left it about 400 years ago.

WAWANI

From Yoggu, it's only a few minutes' drive to this serene village on the White Volta. Go bird watching or charter a canoe from a local fisherman and see a river confluence, rapids, sandy beaches,and more.

ZONCHANGNI ENCLAVE

This beautiful enclave on the White Volta was created through centuries of erosion and deposition. Explore the nearby forest, bird sanctuaries and ox-bow lake.

YIWORGU

Site of (SitubuTomb)

7. KPONG

Site of (Luro's Tomb)