Yesterday dawned sunny and pretty. After breakfast, I suggested we do the tourist thing since it was Sunday and there shouldn’t be a lot of traffic. Black Star Square, also known as Independence Square, is outside so we didn’t need to worry about whether was open or not.
As always, when we got there, the biggest question was, “where do we park?”. There wasn’t an actual parking lot so we parked on the side of the roundabout where there was room.
To our right, was the Independence Arch with the sea behind it. The square itself has stands with seating for 30,000. Independence Day celebrations, which take place on May 6, are held here as well as other large public gatherings and festivals.
On this side of the street, you can also see a monument of a soldier that depicts fallen soldiers who lost their lives fighting for Ghanaian independence. I wasn’t able to get a good photo of that monument as access to the parade grounds was closed.
In the middle of the roundabout, you find the Black Star Gate.
I didn’t know that you could actually climb a bunch of stairs and go to the top of it. There are some guys there, non-uniformed, probably non-sanctioned guys, who will show you the way up for a little something. My guess is you could go up by yourself but those guys will probably always be there. Just a guess!
The ceiling inside the gate is beautiful!
As is the detail on the fencing around the monument.
Anyway, when you get to the top, you can walk around and get an awesome 360 degree view of Accra. Worth the climb!
There are pretty flowers planted and I saw the most amazing blue bird there that I’ve indentified as a Greater Blue Eared Starling. It is possibly the prettiest bird I’ve ever seen. It shimmers a turquoise color in the sun! I tried to get some video. It’s not perfect but I think you can see the shimmer!
All in all, Black Star Square was well worth the trip. View a little of Ghana’s history, see some beautiful nature, and get a great view of the city!
