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Elmina Castle is a historical site, and was a major filming location for Werner Herzog's 1987 drama film Cobra Verde. The castle is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site , along with other castles and forts in Ghana , because of its testimony to the Atlantic slave trade.
The documented history of Elmina begins in 1482 with an agreement between the Portuguese navigator Diogo de Azambuja and the ruler of Elmina, called Caramansa by the Portuguese. In it, the Portuguese were allowed to build the first European fortress in sub-Saharan Africa.
Elmina is also home to Fort Coenraadsburg on St. Jago Hill, built by the Portuguese in 1555 under the name Forte de Santiago; it was used for commerce. In 1637, it was conquered and renamed by the Dutch, after they captured Elmina's main castle. Today, Elmina's main economic industry is fishing, salt production and tourism.
A map of the Gold Coast circa 1700. During the colonial period in Ghana, at the time known as the Gold Coast, roughly corresponding to the 15th through 19th centuries, European-style coastal forts and castles were built, mostly by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. [1]
Elmina Castle (São Jorge da Mina): the primary stronghold of the Portuguese in the Gold Coast, situated on a peninsula where the Benya River meets the Gulf of Guinea. The Portuguese Gold Coast was a Portuguese colony on the West African Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) along the Gulf of Guinea. [1]
The Castle of St George at Elmina, built in 1482 by the Portuguese, stands as the oldest European stone structure south of the Sahara, and was later expanded by the Dutch. This was followed by the construction of numerous forts, most of which were established in the 17th century when competition among European powers in the region intensified.
Elmina Castle viewed from the sea in 1572, by Georg Braun. As a result of European presence and the development of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Elmina grew to possess a population of over 2000 from the 15th and 16th centuries. The town was governed by a chief and council of elders whiles protected by a standing army.
Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle are prominent UNESCO World Heritage Sites and serve as a reminder of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Central Region is a major center for tourism within Ghana and it has beaches and national parks (Kakum National Park). [3] U.S. President Barack Obama made his first international trip to the city of Cape ...