Postcard: Independence Square; The grounds of freedom
Aside being built to commemorate Independence Day in Ghana, it is also the second largest city square in the world.
The independence square was built in 1961 to honour the Queen of Britain, Queen Elizabeth II, after Ghana had gained independence.
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The square has the inscription:Freedom and Justice and AD 1957.
The black star on top of the arch symbolises the freedom of Africans.
Also known as the BlackStar Square, it used to be the grounds where the British military hosted its parades.
It was refurbished between 1957 and 1961 during the era of the then prime minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah to welcome the visit of the then Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, to Ghana.
It is situated in Osu, a suburb of Accra in the Greater Accra Region.
According to Miss Agartha Ofori Sarpong who works in the Marketing Department of the Ghana Tourism Authority, the Independence square was not as large as it currently is.
The first ever parade was held at the square in 1961 when the country had attained its republican status which coincided with the visit of the Queen.
The venue of the square was chosen because it was close to the Christiansborg Castle where the governors resided.
The ocean directly behind it and producing fresh air made it very suitable to hold large numbers of people during national gatherings.
The independence square is bordered by the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and the Accra Sports Stadium.
From 1961 to date and each year on March 6, the independence square has hosted the independence parades and important national public gatherings such as, festivals, musical concerts and church conferences etc.
The square has a seating capacity of over 30,000. The seats are in the colours of the Ghana flag: red, gold and green.
It has three monuments: liberation monument, the independence arch and the square.
The liberation monument was built in 1961 to honour the three soldiers, Sergeant Cornelius Francis Adjetey, Corporal Patrick Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, who were shot by the British head of the police, Superintendent Imray, during the 1948 riots.
The liberation monument comprises the three statues of the three soldiers.
The independence arch was built in 1957 to inspire other African countries looking forward to gaining independence at that time.
