thumb|St. George CastleElmina Castle, or Fort St. George, was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as ('St. George of the Mine Castle'), also known as or simply (or Feitoria da Mina), in present-day Elmina, Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast. It holds several profound distinctions: it was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea and is the oldest extant European building in Sub-Saharan Africa.

First established as a trade settlement for indigenous people of the region, the castle later became one of the most important stops of the Atlantic slave trade. The Dutch West India Company seized the fort from the Portuguese in 1637, after an unsuccessful attempt in 1596; they took over all of the Portuguese Gold Coast in 1642. The slave trade continued under the Dutch until 1814.

In 1872, the Dutch Gold Coast, including the fort, became a possession of the United Kingdom in its treaty with the Dutch that divided dominance and forts in colonial territories.

The Gold Coast gained its independence as Ghana from the United Kingdom in 1957. It controls the castle.

Elmina Castle is a historical site and destination. The castle is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with other castles and forts in Ghana, because of its place in the Atlantic slave trade. a little over a month later, on 19 January 1482. Some historians note that Christopher Columbus was among those to make the voyage to the Gold Coast with this fleet.

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. During the meeting, Azambuja and Chief Kwamin Ansah both participated in a massive peace ritual that included a feast, musicians, and many participants, both Portuguese and native. after which this became the capital of the Dutch Gold Coast. During the period of Dutch control, they built a new, smaller fortress on a nearby hill to protect St. George's Castle from inland attacks. This fort was called Fort Coenraadsburg. The Dutch continued the triangular Atlantic slave route until 1814, when they abolished the slave trade, pursuant to the Anglo-Dutch Slave Trade Treaty.

In 1872, the British took over the Dutch territory and the fort pursuant to the Anglo-Dutch Sumatra treaties of 1871.

Renovation

thumb|right|Elmina Castle renovation, August 2006

The castle was extensively restored by the Ghanaian government in the 1990s. Renovation of the castle continues. 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. It is a place of pilgrimage for many African Americans seeking to connect with their heritage.

3D documentation with terrestrial laser scanning

In 2006, the Zamani Project documented Elmina Castle with terrestrial 3D laser scanning. The 3D model, a panorama tour, elevations, sections and plans of Elmina Castle are available on the project's website. The non-profit research group specialises in 3D digital documentation of tangible cultural heritage. The data generated by the Zamani Project creates a permanent record that can be used for research, education, restoration, and conservation.

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File:Ghana Elmina Castle Interior View of Church.JPG|Interior courtyard and church

File:Ghana Elmina Castle Interior.JPG|Interior courtyard and church

File:Ghana Elmina Castle Male and Female Slave Entrances.JPG|Male and female slave entrances

File:Ghana Elmina Castle Memorial Plaque.JPG|Memorial plaque

File:Ghana Elmina Castle Slave Export Gate.JPG|Slave export gate

File:Ghana Elmina Castle Slave Holding Cell (2).JPG|Slave holding cell

File:Ghana Elmina Castle Slave Holding Cell.JPG|Slave holding cell

File:Ghana Elmina Castle Gun Defences.JPG|Gun defences

File:St. Georges Castle Elmina Cape Coast.jpg|Elmina Castle

File:The Docks at Elmina Castle - July 1995.jpg|Remnants of the docks

File:Rebellious slaves were punished here.jpg|Solitary confinement rooms

File:Female Dungeon Entrance - Elmina Castle - 1995.jpg|"Female Dungeon", 1995

File:Inside the dungeon - the line in the middle was considered adequate sewage.jpg|Dungeon, 1995

File:Elmina Castle 16.jpg|Elmina Castle

File:Elmina Castle 15.jpg|Elmina Castle

File:Elmina Castle 19.jpg|Elmina Castle

File:Castle, Elmina (P1100209).jpg|Elmina Castle

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Scenes from a season 6 episode of the FX series Snowfall were shot in Elmina Castle. The title of the episode, "Door of No Return", is a reference to the symbolic door that millions of Africans were pushed through when they entered a life of slavery through castles like this.

Elmina Castle also featured prominently in the 2015 Danish film (Gold Coast).

Works

  • The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi

See also

  • Diaspora tourism
  • Door of Return
  • List of castles in Ghana
  • Year of Return, Ghana 2019
  • Dutch government school of Elmina

References

Further reading

  • Andrea, Alfred J., and James H. Overfield. "African Colonialism", The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Fifth Edition, Volume 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.
  • Bruner, Edward M. "Tourism in Ghana: The representation of slavery and the return of the Black Diaspora", American Anthropologist 98 (2): 290–304.
  • Claridge, Walton W. A History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, Second Edition. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 1964.
  • Daaku, Kwame Yeboa. Trade & Politics on the Gold Coast 1600–1720. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
  • DeCorse, Christopher R. An Archaeology of Elmina: Africans and Europeans on the Gold Coast, 1400–1900. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001.
  • Hair, P. E. H. The Founding of the Castelo de São Jorge da Mina: an analysis of the sources. Madison: University of Wisconsin, African Studies Program, 1994.
  • Pacheco, Duarte. Esmeraldo de situ orbis, c. 1505–1508.
  • World Statesmen-Ghana
  • www.zamaniproject.org Offers a 3D model, a panorama tour, elevations, sections and plans of Elmina Castle.
  • Ghana-pedia webpage - São Jorge da Mina