Mankessim

Mankessim was a Fante political and spiritual centre near the coast of present-day Ghana. Fante traditions recalled a migration from the interior under Oburumankoma, Odapagyan and Oson; the sacred grove of Nananom Mpow became a focus of their identity.

In 1624 the Dutch made a treaty with Ambro, the Fante brafo, against the Portuguese. From the 1660s or 1670s Mankessim leaders founded coastal settlements including Abura and Ekumfi, while Fante power expanded over neighbouring states.