Ghana, formerly known as the Gold Coast, boasts a rich history intertwined with European trade and the transatlantic slave trade. Along its coast, numerous castles and forts stand as testaments to this complex past. These structures, initially built for trade, later became central to the dark history of the slave trade. Today, they serve as historical sites, museums, and reminders of a significant period in world history.
Elmina Castle
Early History and Trade
In the 15th century, the people living along the West African coast at Elmina were presumably Fante, with an uncertain relationship to the modern Akan who came from north of the forests. West Africans nurtured ancient trade connections to other parts of the world. Common metals trade, iconic artistic forms, and agricultural borrowing show that trans-Saharan and regional coastal connections thrived.
The Portuguese first reached what became known as the Gold Coast in 1471. Prince Henry the Navigator first sent ships to explore the African coast in 1418. The Portuguese had several motives for voyaging south. They were attracted by rumours of fertile African lands that were rich in gold and ivory. In line with the strong religious sentiments of the time, another focus of the Portuguese was Christian proselytism. These motives prompted the Portuguese to develop the Guinea trade.
After fifty years of coastal exploration, the Portuguese reached Elmina in 1471, during the reign of King Afonso V. Upon reaching present-day Elmina, Gomes discovered a thriving gold trade already established among the natives and visiting Arab and Berber traders. He established his own trading post.
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Elmina Castle: A Primary Example
St. Elmina Castle was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine Castle), also known as Castelo da Mina or simply Mina (or Feitoria da Mina), in present-day Elmina, Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast. First established as a trade settlement, the castle later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade.
In 1481, the recently crowned João II decided to build a fort on the coast in order to ensure the protection of this trade, which was once again held as a royal monopoly. King João sent all of the materials needed to build the fort on ten caravels and two transport ships. The supplies, which included everything from heavy foundation stones to roof tiles, were sent, in pre-fitted form, along with provisions for six hundred men. Under the command of Diogo de Azambuja, the fleet set sail on 12 December 1481 and arrived at Elmina, in a village called Of Two Parts a little over a month later, on 19 January 1482.
Upon arrival, Azambuja contracted a Portuguese trader, who had lived at Elmina for some time, to arrange and interpret an official meeting with the local chief, Kwamin Ansah, interpreted from the Portuguese, "Caramansa". Azambuja told the chief of the great advantages in building a fort, including protection from the very powerful king of Portugal. Chief Kwamin Ansah, while accepting Azambuja, as he had any other Portuguese trader who arrived on his coast, was wary of a permanent settlement. However, with firm plans already in place, the Portuguese would not be deterred.
When construction began the next morning, the chief's reluctance was proved to be well-founded. In order to build the fort in the most defensible position on the peninsula, the Portuguese had to demolish the homes of some of the villagers, who consented only after they had been compensated.
Even in this tense atmosphere, the first story of the tower was completed after only twenty days. This was the result of having brought so much prefabricated building materials. "The Castle of St. The fort was the first prefabricated building of European origin to have been planned and executed in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Upon its completion, Elmina was established as a proper city. Azambuja was named governor, and King João added the title "Lord of Guinea" to his noble titles. São Jorge da Mina took on the military and economic importance that had previously been held by the Portuguese factory at Arguim Island, on the southern edge of Mauritania.
From the outset, the Portuguese authorities determined that São Jorge da Mina would not engage directly in the slave trade, as they did not wish to disrupt the gold mining and trade routes of its hinterland with the wars necessary to capture free people and enslave them. Instead, the Portuguese traded captives with several states/tribes, notably those of the Slave Coast (Benin) and São Tomé. This way, São Jorge da Mina served as a transshipment entrepôt. By the seventeenth century, most trade in West Africa concentrated on the sale of captives. São Jorge da Mina played a significant part in the West African slave trade. The castle acted as a depot where enslaved Africans were brought in from different Kingdoms in West Africa.
In 1596, the Dutch made a first unsuccessful attempt at capturing the castle, succeeded by a successful one in 1637, after which it was made the capital of the Dutch Gold Coast. During the period of Dutch control a new, smaller fortress was built on a nearby hill to protect St. George's Castle from inland attacks. This fort was called Fort Coenraadsburg.
Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast Castle HD Tour
Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast Castle, less than ten miles from Elmina Castle, was also heavily used during this incredibly brutal chapter in history. Swedish traders constructed it in 1653, but, after a few different owners, it fell under British control eleven years later. The castle’s cannons pointed at the sea and kept other traders from venturing too close to the British-controlled castle.
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Cape Coast Castle and Elmina, both well-preserved and the centre of a burgeoning tourist trade, offer another surprise - streets lined with European houses, public buildings and churches dating from the early nineteenth century, and in some cases from the eighteenth century.
Architecture and Design
The basic architectural design of the Forts was in the form of a large square or rectangle. The outer components consisted of four bastions/batteries or towers located at the corners, while the inner components consisted of buildings of two or three storeys with or without towers, in addition to an enclosure, courtyard or a spur.
These fortified trading posts, founded between 1482 and 1786, and spanning a distance of approximately 500 km along the coast of Ghana between Keta in the east and Beyin in the west, were links in the trading routes established by the Portuguese in many areas of the world during their era of great maritime exploration. The castles and forts were built and occupied at different times by traders from Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany and Britain. They served the gold trade of European chartered companies.
The forts and castles were periodically altered, extended and modified to suit changing circumstances and new needs. In their present conditions, they demonstrate that history of change.
Contemporary Ghana
The Gold Coast gained its independence as Ghana in 1957 from United Kingdom and now controls the castle. Elmina Castle is a historical site, and was a major filming location for Werner Herzog's 1987 drama film Cobra Verde.
Today, Elmina's economy is sustained by tourism and fishing. Elmina Castle is preserved as a Ghanaian national museum. The monument was designated as a World Heritage Monument under UNESCO in 1979.
The castle was extensively restored by the Ghanaian government in the 1990s. Renovation of the castle continues.
There are over 40 extant slave forts and castles throughout Ghana, and these buildings have been in use almost consistently since their construction. Some had been converted to prisons, some housed schools, and others have been the bases of governmental and municipal functions in post-colonial and post-independence times.
List of Forts and Castles in Ghana
The property consists of three Castles (Cape Coast, St. George’s d’Elmina and Christiansborg at Osu, Accra), 15 Forts (Good Hope at Senya Beraku; Patience at Apam; Amsterdam at Abandzi; St. Jago at Elmina; San Sebastian at Shama; Metal Cross at Dixcove; St.
| Name | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Coast Castle | Cape Coast | Largest of the buildings which contains the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| St. George’s d’Elmina | Elmina | The oldest European building in tropical Africa. |
| Christiansborg | Osu, Accra | Also known as Osu Castle. |
| Fort Good Hope | Senya Beraku | Functions as a guesthouse, contains a store, and hosts parties and other special celebrations. |
| Fort Amsterdam | Abandzi | Picturesque hilltop fort looking down on the fishing beach of Abandze. |
| Fort St. Jago | Elmina | Originated as a chapel built between 1555 and 1558 by the Portuguese. |
| Fort San Sebastian | Shama | A unique and well maintained structure which is easily accessible from the coastal road. |
| Fort Metal Cross | Dixcove | Built by the English in 1691-97. |
| Fort Gross Friidrichsburg | Prince's Town | Ghana's only German fort. |
| Fort San Antonio | Axim | Beginning as a Portuguese trading post in 1502. |
| Fort Apollonia | Beyin | The westernmost fort in Ghana. |
The Legacy of Slavery
Criterion (vi): The Castles and Forts of Ghana shaped not only Ghana’s history but that of the world over four centuries as the focus of first the gold trade and then the slave trade.
The sites overall remains vulnerable to environmental pressures, development pressure including localized quarrying, and lack of adequate funding for the regular maintenance and conservation of the sites.
The Castles and Forts have been respectively established and protected as National Monuments under the National Liberation Council Decree (N.L.C.D) 387 of 1969 and Executive Instrument (E.I.) 29 of 1973. All sites are in the custody of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB). The Monuments Division of the GMMB provides technical advice and management. Regular state-of-conservation inspections are undertaken.
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