Attraction

Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb

The burial place and memorial of Dr Hilla Limann, Ghana's 8th President and the only president of the Third Republic, inside the chief's compound in Gwollu, Upper West Region.

Gwollu, Upper WestHistoryHeritage siteMonument

Why visit

About Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb

The Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum and Tomb is the burial place and memorial of Dr Hilla Limann (12 December 1934 – 23 January 1998), a Ghanaian diplomat and politician who served as the 8th President of Ghana and the only president of the country's Third Republic, from 24 September 1979 to 31 December 1981. Limann was born and raised in Gwollu and had also served as Gwollu Kuoru, or Chief of Gwollu, before his death. He was buried in his home town at midnight on 1 March 1998, in a private ceremony attended by a government delegation led by the then Defence Minister, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu.

The site is described in Ghanaian government and news sources as the family home and final resting place of the late President, located inside the chief's compound in Gwollu. It is listed among the district's tourist sites alongside the Gwollu slave defence wall and the Traditional Bone Setting Centre. A Ghana Tourism Authority-linked post notes that the former President's official car is preserved at his residence in Gwollu.

Gwollu is a small town and the capital of the Sissala West District in the Upper West Region, in the northern part of Ghana near the border with Burkina Faso. The tomb stands near the historic Gwollu slave defence wall, and the wider town also has a sacred crocodile pond known as Kalgwe and a traditional bone-setting centre at Bullu. Because the mausoleum sits within the chief's compound, visitors should expect a site that is part of a living family and chieftaincy setting rather than a standalone museum.

In May 2026 the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, visited the family home and mausoleum during a familiarisation tour of the Upper West Region. She was welcomed by Roy Limann, a nephew of the late President, and by tour guide Kuobintuo Abdullah, and the family raised concerns about maintenance and development of the site. Government had previously approved a budget to redesign the mausoleum and the Gwollu Palace to mark the 10th anniversary of Limann's death.

Practical details are limited in the available sources. No opening hours, entrance fees, guided-tour arrangements or booking contacts are confirmed, and the coordinates recorded for the site are town-level rather than a verified visitor entrance. Visitors should treat access as dependent on the compound's customary arrangements and confirm arrangements locally before travelling.

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Within 5 km in a straight line. Road journeys may be longer.

Attraction · Gwollu

Gwollu Slave Defence Wall

A 19th-century mud-and-brick defence wall in Gwollu, Upper West Region, built by Gwollu Koro Limann against slave traders and managed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.

About 50 m from Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb · straight line

Photo: Sir Amugi · Source

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Gwollu Traditional Bone Setting Centre

An indigenous bone-setting practice run by the Najiriwia Clan in Gwollu, Sissala West District, listed among the district's tourist sites.

About 210 m from Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb · straight line

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Grave of King Tanjia

Grave of King Tanjia (Tanjia Musa) in Gwollu, Sissala West District, listed by the district assembly among its tourist sites for his role in building the Gwollu defence wall.

About 210 m from Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb · straight line

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Gwollu Kuoro's Palace

The working palace compound of the Gwollu Kuoro in Sissala West District, beside the Gwollu Slave Defence Wall and holding the tomb of former President Dr Hilla Limann.

About 210 m from Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb · straight line

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Gwollu Crocodile Pond

Kalgwe, the sacred crocodile pond in central Gwollu, Sissala West District, where crocodiles are revered as clan totems and protected by the community.

About 1.2 km from Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb · straight line

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