The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum is located in the Memorial Park named after him and is the final resting place of Ghana's first president. His memory is honoured for his immense contribution to the struggle to liberate Ghana (then called the Gold Coast) from colonial rule in 1957.
The Mausoleum was designed by Don Arthur, a Ghanaian architect. Inside is the body of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his wife Fathi Nkrumah. The structure is designed to represent an inverted sword, which in Akan culture is a symbol of peace. The mausoleum is decorated from top to bottom with Italian marble, the black star on its top symbolises unity. Inside the mausoleum are marble floors and a polished stone sarcophagus, lit through a skylight.
The memorial complex has a total area of over five hectares. In addition to the building with the tomb, it includes a park and a series of fountains with seven statues depicting flute players, with streams of water pouring from their mouthpieces. The mausoleum is surrounded on all sides by water, which is a symbol of life. Nearby is the Museum of Ghana's Leader, with a display of the first president's personal effects and early publications, as well as paintings of his life. Separately, there is a stand with photographs of Nkrumah with John F. Kennedy, Jawaharlal Nehru, Nikita Khrushchev, Mao Tse-tung, Fidel Castro and other famous personalities.
You can walk to the structure from Independence Square directly to the bronze monument of Kwame Nkrumah in fluttering robes.
