Elmina Castle

Elmina Castle

fort, cultural heritage, castle, factory

Part of	Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
Year dem found am	1482
Get use	factory
Native label	Elmina Castle
Country	Ghana
Capital of	Portuguese Gold Coast
Edey de administrative territorial entity insyd	Central Region, Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem Municipal District
Ein location	Elmina
Coordinate location	5°4′58″N 1°20′54″W
Heritage designation	Heritage of Portuguese Influence, Ghana’s material cultural heritage, part of UNESCO World Heritage Site
Described at URL	https://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/St.-George-fort.118c
World Heritage criteria	(vi)
Ghana Place Names URL	https://sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/places-in-perspective/castles-forts#h.qmad9y5id8f1

Elmina Castle - Ghana

De Portuguese wey dem erect Elmina Castle for 1482 insyd as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine Castle), wey e san be known as Castelo da Mina anaa simply Mina (anaa Feitoria da Mina), for present-day Elmina, Ghana (formerly de Gold Coast). Na e be de first trading post wey dem build for de Gulf of Guinea top, den de oldest European building wey exist south of de Sahara.

First dem establish am as trade settlement, de castle later come turn one of de most important stops for de route of de Atlantic slave trade. De Dutch seize de fort from de Portuguese for 1637 insyd, after an attempt wey dem no succeed for 1596 insyd, dem san take over all of Portuguese Gold Coast for 1642 insyd. De slave trade continue under de Dutch til 1814. For 1872 insyd, de Dutch Gold Coast, wey dey include de fort, come turn Great Britain dema possession.

De Gold Coast, wey now be Ghana, gain ein independence for 1957 insyd from Britain, wey dem dey control de castle. Elmina Castle be historical site, na e be a major filming location for Werner Herzog ein 1987 drama film Cobra Verde. UNESCO dey recognize de castle as World Heritage Site. E sa be major tourists attraction for de Central Region of Ghana insyd.

Renovation

De Ghanaian government extensively restore de castle for de 1990s. Still nu renovations dey on. Today, tourism den fishin dey sustain Elmina ein economy. Dem preserve Elmina Castle as Ghanaian national museum wey World Heritage Monument design am as monument under UNESCO for 1979 insyd. E be place of pilgrimage for chaw African Americans wey dey seek to connect plus dema long-lost heritage. Renovatin de bridge wey dey lead into de castle be one of de highest priority tasks for de project insyd. As of August 2006, dem plete de bridge renovation den construction of de upper terraces dey continue.

3D documentation plus terrestrial laser scanning

For 2006 insyd, de Zamani Project document Elmina Castle plus terrestrial 3D laser scanning. De 3D model, panorama tour, elevations, sections den plans of Elmina Castle dey available for de project ein website top. De on-profit research group dey specialise for digital documentation of tangible cultural heritage insyd. De data Zamani Project generate dey create permanent record wey dem fi use for research, education, restoration, den conservation.

Gallery

• 
  Elmina Castle Interior View of Church
• 
  Elmina Castle Interior
• 
  Elmina Castle Male and Female Slave Entrances
• 
  Elmina Castle Memorial Plaque
• 
  Elmina Castle Slave Export Gate
• 
  Elmina Castle Slave Holding Cell
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  Elmina Castle Slave Holding Cell
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  Elmina Castle Gun Defences
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  Elmina Castle
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  Remnants of the docks at Elmina Castle
• 
  Solitary Confinement Rooms at Elmina Castle
• 
  "Female Dungeon" - Elmina Castle in 1995
• 
  Dungeon - Elmina Castle, 1995

Read further

• 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. ISBN 0-942615-21-2
• Pacheco, Duarte. Esmeraldo de situ orbis, c. 1505–1508.
• World Statesmen-Ghana