List of castles in Ghana

No African coast, such a density of European forts on how the so-called Gold Coast, so the coast of the present-day Republic of Ghana in West Africa. The first fort here was built in Elmina in 1482 by the Portuguese (Fort of São Jorge da Mina ), the last in 1784 by the Danes in Keta (Fort Prinzenstein ). While the Fort São Jorge da Mina for more than 500 years towers over Elmina, was the Dutch Fort Ruychaver whole four years.

These forts were primarily trading posts, especially for the slave trade, and - until the 19th century - not the starting points of colonial conquests. Usually they were not owned by European powers, but acquired a lease of African powers courts. Therefore, many forts changed not only multiply their European owners, but for example as a result of conquests of an African empire by another also their African " lessor ". So, for example, got the lease of Elmina as spoils of war from the realm of Denkyra in the hands of the Aschantireiches and with the conquest of the kingdom of Akyem and the Kingdom of the Ga were the Ashanti also lease receiver for all the European forts in Accra. 1750, the British Parliament paid a total of 13,000 pounds per year for the use of its forts on the Gold coast. In the following list, the respective European owners are called. However, the forts were mostly not in the possession of the crown of the country but were managed by private companies.

Some well-preserved forts, as Elmina Castle and Cape Coast Castle are to visit for visitors and show in an impressive way, as thousands of unfortunates in the basement dungeons for months waiting to be shipped as slaves to North, Central and South America.

Table

The forts and posts are in the following table sorted geographically from west to east, in the first column refers to the name or the name of the fort, in the second the modern place name:

World Heritage

1979 included eleven of the forts in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. These are:

  • Cape Coast Castle
  • Fort Amsterdam
  • Fort Batenstein
  • Fort Goedehoop
  • Fort Leydsamheid
  • Fort Metal Cross
  • Fort San Sebastian
  • Fort Sao Iago da Mina
  • Fort São Jorge da Mina
  • Fort St. Anthony
  • Fort Vredenburg
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