List of castles in Ghana
Template:Short description Template:Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site 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] These forts linked the trading routes established by the Portuguese and acted as important market places for the gold and slave trades.[1]
Because of their testimony to precolonial and colonial Afro-European commerce, including the Atlantic slave trade, and their profound effect on the history of West Africa, a number of these fortifications and outposts were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.[1]
Kumasi Fort in the Ashanti Region was originally built by an Asante king in imitation of these colonial forts.[2]
Coastal regions
World Heritage listed forts
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions is the collective designation by UNESCO of European-style fortifications and outposts (mostly Portuguese, Dutch and British) along the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) during the colonial period. The term specifically applies to a number of such fortifications designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, including:[1]
- Three castles:
- Fifteen forts:
- Good Hope at Senya Beraku
- Patience at Apam
- Amsterdam at Abandze
- St. Jago at Elmina
- San Sebastian at Shama
- Metal Cross at Dixcove
- St. Anthony at Axim
- Orange at Sekondi
- Template:Ill at Prince's Town
- William (Lighthouse) at Cape Coast
- William at Anomabu
- Victoria at Cape Coast
- Ussher at Usshertown, Accra
- James at Jamestown, Accra
- Apollonia at Beyin
- Four forts partially in ruins:
- Amsterdam at Abandze (Note, this fort is listed both as fort and as fort partially in ruins by UNESCO)
- English Fort at British Komenda
- Batenstein at Butre;
- Prinzensten at Keta
- Ruins with visible structures:
- Nassau at Mouri
- Fredensborg at Old Ningo
- Vredenburg at Dutch Komenda
- Vernon at Prampram
- Dorothea at Akwidaa
- Two sites with traces of former fortifications:
Gallery
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Other coastal forts
Other coastal forts included in Ghana's material cultural heritage list of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board:[3]
- Fort Fredericksburg at Amanful (distinguished from Fort Frederiksborg/Fort Royal near Cape Coast Castle)
- Fort McCarthy at Cape Coast
- The Little Fort at Anomabu
- Fort Tantumquery at Otuam
Not listed as heritage (mostly largely destroyed or otherwise lost):
- Fort Winneba at Winneba
- Fort Sekondi at Sekondi
- Fort Kongenstein at Ada
- Fort Elize Carthago near Axim
- Fort Ruychaver on the banks of the Ankobra River
- Fort Witsen near Sekondi
By region (from East to West):
- Volta Region:
- Fort Prinzenstein, Keta (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Greater Accra Region:
- Fort Fredensborg, Old Ningo (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Vernon, Prampram (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Augustaborg, Teshie (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Osu Castle (Christiansborg), Accra (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Ussher Fort, Accra (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort James, Accra (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Central Region:
- Fort Good Hope (Fort Goede Hoop), Senya Beraku (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Lijdzaamheid ('Patience'), Apam (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Amsterdam, Abandze (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort William, Anomabu (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Nassau, Moree (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Cape Coast Castle, Cape Coast (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort William (Lighthouse), Cape Coast (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Victoria, Cape Coast (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Elmina Castle, Elmina (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Coenraadsburg, Elmina (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Vredenburgh, Komenda (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- English Fort, Komenda (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Western Region:
- Fort San Sebastian, Shama (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Orange, Sekondi (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Batenstein, Butri (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Metal Cross, Dixcove (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Template:Ill, Prince's Town (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Santo Antonio, Axim (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
- Fort Apollonia, Beyin (Script error: No such module "Coordinates".)
Other regions
- Kumasi Fort in the Ashanti Region.[2]
See also
References
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- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Kumasi Fort and Military Museum at Template:Url
- ↑ Forts and Castles at Ghana Museums and Monuments Board website
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External links
- Ghana-Net: Forts and Castles of Ghana (with pictures)
- Ghana Place Names: Forts & Castles (meanings and origins of names)
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