Elmina Castle
The Fort of São Jorge da Mina ( now St. George 's Castle or Elmina Castle) was built in 1482 by the Portuguese on the Gold Coast, now Ghana in the place indicated by the Portuguese Elmina. São Jorge da Mina became the first Portuguese and also the first European fort on the coast of Black Africa. The historical significance of the fort is that it is the headquarters of the Portuguese in West Africa, and then was the headquarters of the Dutch in West Africa from 1482 to the conquest by the Dutch in 1637. The fort played as a Dutch possession also has a critical role in the rise of allied with the Dutch Empire of Ashanti. From 1872, until the independence of Ghana, the Fort was British.
The Portugal Castelo São Jorge da Mina
The foundation stone of the fortress was laid on January 21, 1482 by Diogo de Azambuja the Portuguese navigator, who on behalf of the Portuguese King John II as commander of a fleet of nine ships, about 600 sailors and soldiers, and about 100 craftsmen and servants of the today's Elmina reached. Here he entered into an agreement with a local ruler, the name the Portuguese sources Caramansa. One of his officers, who later also famous Bartolomeu Diaz was. Diogo de Azambuja was in the next two years, the first Portuguese Governor, capitão - mor, of Elmina. Even after the establishment of additional bases in West Africa by the Portuguese São Jorge da Mina remained their most important trade, supply and military base in the region. Here they exchanged an ivory, gold, pepper, sugar, and later increasingly slaves. The post of governor of São Jorge da Mina was viewed in the 16th century as one of the most important positions in the Portuguese Empire, although the crew was not very big: The garrison of the fort consisted at this time of the governor with ten European subordinates, a manager with four men under his command, two scribes, a pharmacist, a doctor, a blacksmith, a cooper ( Cooper ), a purser, a stone mason, a carpenter, several priests and about 20-60 soldiers. 1486 São Jorge da Mina received its town charter and a wall was drawn to the African village, which the Portuguese named the Aldeia Duas Partes. In 1500 the conversion of locals began to Catholicism and in 1503 a chapel was built on a hill outside the fort. The intensity of the Portuguese influence can be seen also that here in its dealings with Africans soon developed a Portuguese -based creole language, which remained alive until the 18th century.
Conquest by the Dutch
With the end of the 16th century the Portuguese had to get into West Africa competition from the rising naval power of the Dutch. In several bloody attempts, they tried to conquer the fort. 1596 attacked the first time a Dutch expedition, which had been equipped by the purely commercial trading house Moucheron unsuccessful the fortress on. September 1606 landed 600 soldiers in the Dutch Fort Nassau in the not far distant place Moree and marched long on the coast of São Jorge da Mina. However, they were repulsed by the soldiers of the former Portuguese Governor Cristóvão de Melo. In December of the same year and in January 1607 they undertook further attacks before they gave up and retreated. As in 1615, an earthquake damaged the fortress and a bastion fell, the Dutch took three unsuccessful attempts of conquest. 1625 Finally, a fleet of 15 ships, 1200 Dutch soldiers and 150 African allies threw under the command of Admiral January Dirikszon Lam anchor near Elmina. The fort was occupied at this time with only 56 soldiers under the Governor Dom Francisco Sotomaior. The Dutch bombarded the fort, but were repulsed by African allies of Portugal, 500 Dutch soldiers lost their lives. In 1637 the Dutch came up with 9 ships and 800 men returned, landed at today's Cape Coast and joined there by 1000-1400 African allies. Divided in three columns they marched on São Jorge da Mina to. They conquered the hill with the above-mentioned chapel and bombarded the fort from here After a few days, on August 29, 1637 had the Portuguese occupation arise.
São Jorge da Mina, as a Dutch fortress
The Dutch left behind 175 men crew in their newly acquired fortress and the future headquarters for West Africa. To the future to prevent hostile conquerors vorgingen in the same way as they themselves, they fortified the hill first with the Portuguese chapel, from which they had succeeded in taking the fortress. At first only with earthen walls, later they built here a second, smaller fort, Fort Sao Iago da Mina or Fort Conraadsburg. They also expanded the old fort considerably and rebuilt it as it still exists today. Middle of the 17th century was the Dutch crew of 83 men and 184 slaves within the fort in 1872 they sold São Jorge da Mina and the rest of their possessions on the Gold Coast to the British.
St. George 's Castle
The British translated the Portuguese name in English, has made it to the governor's mansion and called the plant is now St. George 's Castle. In addition to Christiansborg or " Osu Castle" and Cape Coast Castle St. George 's Castle, making it the third residential castle on the coast of Ghana.
After the British conquest of Aschantireiches they took the then king ( Asantehene ) Ashanti, Kwaku Dua III. Asamu ( Agyeman Prempeh I. also called ) caught on 17 January 1896, initially detained him in a cell on the first floor of St. George 's Castle, before they shipped him into exile to the Seychelles.
St. George 's Castle is now one of the main tourist attractions of Ghana since 1979 and a World Heritage Site.