Attraction · Tamale
Dakpema Chief's Palace
The Dakpema Chief's Palace is the traditional palace of the Dakpema, chief of Tamale, in Ghana's Dagbon traditional area, and a focal point for Dagbon festivals.
Photo: Samaru Samaru · Source
Explore Ghana
Things to do in Tamale
Tamale is the beating heart of Ghana's Northern Region, and the things to do here sit where Dagbon tradition meets a young, restless art scene. The Dakpema Chief's Palace, home of the chief of Tamale, is a focal point for Dagbon festivals, while Kukuo Pottery Centre keeps a traditional pottery-making community working much as it always has. Both are places where you watch culture being made rather than simply displayed.
The city's creative side is just as easy to reach. Red Clay Studio, founded by Ibrahim Mahama, is an open art studio, education campus and exhibition complex, and the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art, also founded by Mahama, is an artist-run exhibition, research and residency centre that is open to visitors free of charge. Between them you get very different experiences: one sprawling and hands-on, the other a quieter space for looking and thinking.
For everyday Tamale, head to Tamale Central Market, where the Aboabo and Dakurili sections sell food, crafts and clothing, or to the Centre for National Culture in the Central Business District, which has a crafts village, sewing centres, bars and a restaurant. Some of these places are grand and ceremonial, others are busy, ordinary and full of noise.
Good to know
Before you go
All six places are in or near Tamale, so you can build your days around the city rather than long journeys. Group the Central Business District stops together: the Centre for National Culture and Tamale Central Market sit close to the centre of town, while Kukuo Pottery Centre and Red Clay Studio lie near Tamale rather than in it. Before setting out, check opening times and whether a site is free to enter, as this varies: SCCA Tamale is open to visitors free of charge, but others may keep different arrangements. If a festival at the Dakpema Chief's Palace is on, expect crowds and plan around them. Ask locally about the best way to reach each place, and remember that market days are busiest in the morning.
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Places to explore
Attraction · Tamale
Red Clay Studio
Red Clay Studio is an open art studio, education campus and exhibition complex founded by Ibrahim Mahama near Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana.
Photo: Christian Yakubu · Source
Attraction · Tamale
Tamale Central Market
Tamale Central Market is a major market in Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana, with Aboabo and Dakurili sections selling food, crafts and clothing.
Photo: Ghana Decides · Source
Attraction
Attraction · Tamale
Centre for National Culture, Tamale
The Northern Regional office of Ghana's National Commission on Culture, in Tamale's Central Business District, with a crafts village, sewing centres, bars and a restaurant.
Attraction
Attraction · Tamale
Kukuo Pottery Centre
Kukuo Pottery Centre is a traditional pottery-making community near Tamale in Ghana's Northern Region, listed by Visit Ghana among the region's key attractions.
Attraction
Attraction · Tamale
Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art
SCCA is an artist-run exhibition, research and residency centre founded by Ibrahim Mahama in Tamale, Ghana, open to visitors free of charge.