Nzulezo

The village of Nzulezo (or Nzulezu) is located near the village of Beyin, roughly 90 kilometers west of Takoradi, in the Jomoro District of the Western Region of Ghana.

Nzulezo overlooks the Lake Tadane, and is entirely made up of stilts and platforms. In 2000, it was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is a major tourist attraction area.

The village’s name “Nzulezo” in Nzema language, means “surface water”. According to local legend, the village was built by a group of people from Oualata, a city of the ancient Ghana Empire and in present-day Mauritania, which came about from following a snail.

Nzulezo was built over Lake Tadane, the settlement of Nzulezo consists of stilt-supported structures integrated seamlessly with the water-dominated natural landscape.

It is not known why the village has been built over the water, the main activities of its inhabitants is agriculture, while the fishery plays a secondary role. The lake is however perceived by the local population to protect against certain risks (e.g. a fire).

source: www.en.wikipedia.org