Yaa Asantewaa Memorial Heritage Trail

The Yaa Asantewaa Memorial Heritage Trail is a memorial project at the gravesite of Yaa Asantewaa (c. 1840–1921), Queen Mother of Ejisu, in Ejisu-Besease, her hometown in the Ejisu Municipal District of the Ashanti Region. The site is distinct from the Yaa Asantewaa Museum in Ejisu town.

Yaa Asantewaa led the Asante resistance in the 1900 War of the Golden Stool against British colonial rule. She was captured and exiled to the Seychelles, where she died on 17 October 1921. Her remains were returned to Ghana and buried under a tree at Besease estimated to be 300 years old.

In December 2023, a delegation of Ejisu natives and professors led by Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah sought the blessing of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at Manhyia Palace to build a cenotaph at the resting place, to be called the Yaa Asantewaa Memorial Heritage. The Asantehene said he would be glad if it were completed by the tenth month of 2024. The Yaa Asantewaa Memorial Heritage Foundation lists Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah as Founder and President, Kwadwo Ohemeng Asumaning as Executive Director and Secretary, Ivor Agyeman-Duah as Director/Curator, Prof. Peter Amoah and Dr. Dickson Osei-Asibey as Technical Directors, and Robertson Azantilow as Project Design Architect/Supervisor.

Explore Kumasi describes the memorial heritage trail as under construction at the gravesite in Besease, launched with the Asantehene's help in 2024, and intended, when completed, to let visitors trace key moments of her life and leadership. It also notes that her statue, once near the town centre, was removed during road construction and will be reinstated as part of restoration efforts.

Besease lies on the outskirts of Kumasi, just beyond the town of Ejisu, which is home to the District Assembly and the paramount chief, the Ejisuhene. The village name is said to mean "under the cola tree." Because the trail is a project in progress, visitors should treat the gravesite as a place of local and historical significance rather than a finished attraction, and confirm current access before travelling.