The Ancient Forts and Castles of Ghana (Gold Coast) - Main Page
And yes.., widely known castles are Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle. And maybe "The Castle" of government of Ghana. But don`t navigate away! There are quiet some more to discover!
Advertisement
And yes.., widely known castles are Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle. And maybe "The Castle" of government of Ghana. But don`t navigate away! There are quiet some more to discover!
Advertisement
All Fort & Castle sites, to visit...
History of Castles and Forts of Ghana. The forts and castles along the coast of Ghana date back to the 15th Century and were built and occupied at different times by the European traders and adventurers from Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany and Britain to safeguard trading posts. |
Several of the castles and forts have changed hands on numerous occasions in bloody battles or by treaty, and all have a fascinating history. All over Ghana, vestiges of the past remain for the visitor to discover. Relics, historic sites, national monuments, and of course our castles.
Today some have been restored and have a variety of uses while some are in ruins. Most are however open to the public.
Today some have been restored and have a variety of uses while some are in ruins. Most are however open to the public.
- Fort Kumasi (Kumasi, Ashanti region) /
- Fort Batenstein, Butre / Butre-Western Region Fort Batensteyn Swedish post 1650-2. Dutch fort built 1656. Some good remaining.
- Fort Apollonia, Beyin (Western region) /
- Fort St Anthony, Axim / Axim- Western Region Fort S. Antonio Portuguese trading post, 1502. Destroyed by the towns people in 1514. Second fort built by the Portuguese on present site in 1515.
- Fort Gross Friedrichsburg, Princestown - Princess town -Western Region Groot-Friedrichburg/Fort Holland.Danish lodge 1658, fort built in 1683.
- Fort Dorothea, Akwida - Prussian and Dutch fort, later British
- Fort Metal Cross, Dixcove / Dixcove-Western Region Fort Metal Cross The fort on the bay (Dick's or Dickeys Cove). Work commenced in 1693.
Restored 1954-66. - Fort Orange, Secondi / Sekondi-Western Region Fort Orange Built by the Dutch probably in 1640.
- Fort St Sebastian, Shama / Shama-Western Region Fort St. Sebastian Built as a Dutch lodge in 1526. Portuguese fort built in 1590.
Restored 1954-7. - Fort Komenda (British Komenda) / Komenda-Western Region Fort Vrendenburg (Vendenburg) English slave trading post. Build 1663.
- Fort Vendenburg, Dutch Komenda / Komenda-Western Region Fort Vrendenburg, first Dutch, later English trading post 1663.
- Castle St Georg, Elmina / Elmina-Central Region Fort St. Jorge Portuguese reached Elmina (Del Mina) in 1471. Built by Portuguese in 1482. First European fort on the Gold Coast, improved before 1500.
- Fort St Jago, Elmina / Elmina-Central Region Fort St. Jago (Conraadsburg) Chapel built between 1555 and 1558 by the Portuguese. Turned into a lodge and watch tower.
Restored 1956-60. - Cape Coast Castle / Cape Coast-Central Region Cape Coast Castle Built as a lodge by the Dutch 1630 on an abandoned lodge built earlier by the Portuguese. Extensively rebuilt before 1757-80. Present day: Cape Coast Castle Museum
- Fort Victoria, Cape Coast / Cape Coast Out Forts Fort Victoria Built by the English in 1702
- Fort Royal, Cape Coast
- Fort William / Anomabu- Central Region Fort William Built by the Dutch 1640 rebuild by the British in 1819-1820. Restored 1954.
- Fort William - Cape Coast Out Fort, build by the English 1819. (Lighthouse)
- Fort McCarthy, Cape Coast / Cape Coast Out Forts Fort McCarthy Built by the British 1822
- Fort Coenraadsburg, Elmina
Advertisement
Winneba Fort - 1632 British Faktorei ; later abandoned ( no later than 1644) again ; 1694 Fort ; 1812 abandoned by the British and blasted.
- Fort Amsterdam, Abandzi - Dutch and later British fort, used for slave trade.
- Fort Tantumquery / Tantum- Central Region English post intermittently occupied from 1662. English post built c. 1724.
- Fort Usser, Usshertown, Accra - Accra Fort Crevecoer (Ussher Fort) Dutch post built in 1642.
- Christiansborg Castle, Osu, Accra / Accra Christianborg Castle a Portuguese fortified house, 1550.
Swedish lodge built in 1652. Rebulit and used as a residence of the British Gorvenor of Gold Coast, 1877-1957. Residence of the Prime Minister of Ghana and renamed Government House , Osu in 1957.
Became the official residence of Dr. Nkrumah (President) 1960 and has since remained the seat of the Government. Frequently rebuilt with additions in recent years. Not open to the public. - Fort Augustaborg, Teshie / Teshie Fort Augustaborg Dutch post in 1730-40's.
- Fort Vernon, Prampram / Prampram Fort Vernon British post built in 1740.
- Fort Fredensborg, Old Ningo / Danish Fort
- Fort Prinzenstein, Keta / Keta Fort Prinsenstein Danish post established c. 1714
- Fort Kongenstein, Ada / Ada Fort Kongenstein Portuguese trading place ,16th century.
- Fort Elise Cartage - Ankobra-Western Region, the Fort Elise Cartage Built by the Dutch in 1702, only traces ruins are now visible.
- Fort Apologia - Begin- Western Region Fort Apologia Dutch lodge c. 1660. British fort built between 1750 and 1770. Reconstructed between 1962 and 1968.
- Fort Sofia Louis - Takrama-Western Region. The Fort Sofia Louis Lodge was built by Branderburgers in 1690, English fort 1691.
Present day: Only the foundations are visible. - Fort Dorothy - Akwida-Western Region. The Fort Dorothy Built by Branderburgers, 1685
Present day: In ruins. - Watchtower - Elmina-Central Region. The Watchtower Presumably Dutch but of unknown date, restored 1956-60.
- Fort Nassau At Mourie - Cape Coast Out Fort. Fort Nassau At Mourie. Dutch post, 1598. Dutch lodge built
- Fort Amsterdam - Kormantse, Central Region. Fort Amsterdam, a Dutch trading post 1598. Dutch lodge built 1631, fort rebuilt by the English in in 1645.
- Saltpond Fort - Amoku- Central Region Near Ankaful, Saltpond French post built 1786.
- Fort Leysaemheyt/Patience - Apam, Central Region. Fort Leysaemheyt/Patience. Built by the Dutch 1696-1702
- Fort Goedehoop (Good Hope) - Senya Beraku, Central Region. Fort Goedehoop (Good Hope), a Dutch Fort establised 1667
- James Fort, Jamestown, Accra - Fort James - Accra, Fort James - It is likely that there was a Portuguese lodge in the middle of the 16th century (probably by 1576).
-1653-
The Swedes named the first permanent fort built at Cape Coast after their King Charles X, or Karl X Gustav (1622–1660), who came from a German family and reigned from 1654 until his death. 'Carolusburg' means 'Charles's Castle'.
www.capecoastcastlemuseum.com/ or our Info Page of Cape Coast Castle
More info pages and pictures will be added son!
Winneba Fort (old name for Winneba; Tumpa) - build in 1632 by the British, as an trading fort. There are no larger remains, as the fort was blasted , after abolishing of the Slave Trade, it was not more of use.
Elmina Castle, Elmina
The original dedication of the castle was to 'St. George of the Mine'.
Elmina Castle was erected 1482 by the Portuguese to protect their interest in the gold trade. Originally they called the whole of the Guinea coast El Mina, ('The Mine').
Elmina Castle info page on our website, or
www.elminacastle.info/
The Forts and Castles of Ghana (Gold Coast)
(Visit 33 Forts & Castles out of once nearly 80)
Fortifications along the coast of today Ghana date back to the 15th Century and were built and occupied at different times by the European traders and adventurers from Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany and Britain to safeguard trading posts...mainly from each other. Gold Coast was declared a crown colony of Britain in 1874
(Ghana gained independence 1957)
The Swedes named the first permanent fort built at Cape Coast after their King Charles X, or Karl X Gustav (1622–1660), who came from a German family and reigned from 1654 until his death. 'Carolusburg' means 'Charles's Castle'.
www.capecoastcastlemuseum.com/ or our Info Page of Cape Coast Castle
More info pages and pictures will be added son!
Winneba Fort (old name for Winneba; Tumpa) - build in 1632 by the British, as an trading fort. There are no larger remains, as the fort was blasted , after abolishing of the Slave Trade, it was not more of use.
Elmina Castle, Elmina
The original dedication of the castle was to 'St. George of the Mine'.
Elmina Castle was erected 1482 by the Portuguese to protect their interest in the gold trade. Originally they called the whole of the Guinea coast El Mina, ('The Mine').
Elmina Castle info page on our website, or
www.elminacastle.info/
The Forts and Castles of Ghana (Gold Coast)
(Visit 33 Forts & Castles out of once nearly 80)
Fortifications along the coast of today Ghana date back to the 15th Century and were built and occupied at different times by the European traders and adventurers from Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany and Britain to safeguard trading posts...mainly from each other. Gold Coast was declared a crown colony of Britain in 1874
(Ghana gained independence 1957)
High revenue from Cape Coast / Elmina castles
Cape Coast, March. 7, 2008 - GNA- The Central Regional Director of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), Mr Nicholas Ivor, on Friday expressed delight in the boost in tourism in the Central region resulting in the increase of revenue.
Continued from right text...: Mr Ivor, who disclosed this to the GNA in an interview in Cape Coast, said the Cape Coast and Elmina castles were able to generate an amount of GH¢210,795.83 in 2007 compared to GH¢146,641.68 in 2006. He said a total of 135,070 tourists visited the two castles last year as against 104,529 in 2006 and 76,019 in 2005.
The regional Director said the Elmina castle received 65,018 visitors in 2007 and 47,838 visitors in 2006, while the Cape Coast castle received 70,052 and 56,691 in 2007 and 2006 respectively. He said the hosting and advertising of the CAN 2008 attracted a lot of tourists to the country and was hopeful that his outfit would generate more revenue. Mr Ivor encouraged Ghanaians and especially students to develop the interest in visiting tourist attractions in the country, especially the castles to enable them to learn more about the country's history.
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions is the collective designation by UNESCO of European-style fortifications and outposts (mostly Portuguese, Dutch and British) along the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) during the colonial period.
The term specifically applies to 11 ensembles designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979:
All Forts and Castles in Ghana count nearly 80! 33 Fort & Castle sites are still to visit today.
Cape Coast, March. 7, 2008 - GNA- The Central Regional Director of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), Mr Nicholas Ivor, on Friday expressed delight in the boost in tourism in the Central region resulting in the increase of revenue.
Continued from right text...: Mr Ivor, who disclosed this to the GNA in an interview in Cape Coast, said the Cape Coast and Elmina castles were able to generate an amount of GH¢210,795.83 in 2007 compared to GH¢146,641.68 in 2006. He said a total of 135,070 tourists visited the two castles last year as against 104,529 in 2006 and 76,019 in 2005.
The regional Director said the Elmina castle received 65,018 visitors in 2007 and 47,838 visitors in 2006, while the Cape Coast castle received 70,052 and 56,691 in 2007 and 2006 respectively. He said the hosting and advertising of the CAN 2008 attracted a lot of tourists to the country and was hopeful that his outfit would generate more revenue. Mr Ivor encouraged Ghanaians and especially students to develop the interest in visiting tourist attractions in the country, especially the castles to enable them to learn more about the country's history.
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions is the collective designation by UNESCO of European-style fortifications and outposts (mostly Portuguese, Dutch and British) along the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) during the colonial period.
The term specifically applies to 11 ensembles designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979:
All Forts and Castles in Ghana count nearly 80! 33 Fort & Castle sites are still to visit today.
Advertisement
Ghana Net HOME
Search 3 of our sites: ghana-net.com, ghananet.co.uk and ghanawebnews.online
Search ghana-net.com OR ghanaweb-news.com (ONLY)
Radio Live Pages |
Ghana Info Pages |
More Ghana Links
British Gold Coast (Many pictures shown!)
Fort Batenstein (full info website) Logbuch.Ghana-net.net (Deutsch) GhanaHotels.biz (400 + Hotels) All Towns of Ghana, by Region A - Z Preventive child health inequality 1283 private health institutions in Ghana |
Welcome to Ghana! Akwaaba!
Ghana-Net.com is one of Ghana`s oldest websites, with tourism information`s about Ghana, Live Radio, life and culture of of all Ghana Nation`s, and tribes - like Ga people, Fante, Ewe, Ashanti, Dagbani, Frafra, Krobo and many other tribes and kingdoms of Ghana.
Ghana-Net.com 1st time online late December 2000, and updated since 2001 !
Ghana-Net.com is one of Ghana`s oldest websites, with tourism information`s about Ghana, Live Radio, life and culture of of all Ghana Nation`s, and tribes - like Ga people, Fante, Ewe, Ashanti, Dagbani, Frafra, Krobo and many other tribes and kingdoms of Ghana.
Ghana-Net.com 1st time online late December 2000, and updated since 2001 !
Ghana-Net.com - connected with; GhanaRadio.online /
GhanaMirror.com / GhanaWeb-News.com / GhanaMirror.uk / GhanaHotels.biz / GhanaFlights.info /
GhanaMirror.com / GhanaWeb-News.com / GhanaMirror.uk / GhanaHotels.biz / GhanaFlights.info /
Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions and Disclaimer / Services / Contact Us / (c) by ghana-net.com 2000- 2019