"Koutammakou - home of the Bassamba" Kouadangou by grets

Kouadangou Travel Guide: 21 reviews and 62 photos

UNESCO World Heritage site

The small village of Kouadangou is famous well beyond its size. This little speck on the map is part of a wider area known as Koutammakou, a region that stretches for s several miles across northern Togo and into neighbouring Benin and Burkina Faso. This is the home of the Bassamba, who are famous for their fortress-like architecture, known as Takienta. We spent a couple of days here, soaking up the local atmosphere.

Koutammakou - home of the Bassamba - Kouadangou

Pros and Cons

Pros:Fascinating architecture and culture
Cons:A little difficult to get to

Last visit to Kouadangou: Dec 2006
Intro Updated Apr 8, 2007
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Reviews (21)

Natural Jewllery Local Customs (6)

Here you can see an elderly local lady wearing a precious stone in her chin. This is a local tradition, but we only saw... more travel advice

Shrines Things to Do (5)

Outside the shrines were a number of clay mounds, each representing a shrine dedicated to the ancestors. The Bassamba,... more travel advice

Sacrifice Local Customs (6)

The word sacrifice comes from an old English expression “to make sacred”, and sacrifice is part of everyday life in... more travel advice

The Granary Things to Do (5)

On each corner of the Takienta, is a granary, complete with a conical thatched roof. The Bassamba store millet, fonio or... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Fending for ourselves
Hotels (2)
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Comments (2)

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Kate-Me Apr 19, 2007 at 5:09 AM

wonderful photos & fascinating stories. Thanks a lot for sharing.
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kyoub Apr 8, 2007 at 4:38 PM

Great builders for sure,fasinating architecture. Very interesting about customs. I don't think I would have wanted to sleep outside the tent.