Elmina Castle

Elmina Castle

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Elmina Castle (St. George's Castle / Fort St. Jorge)
Location	Elmina, Central Region, Ghana
Part of	Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
Criteria	Cultural: (vi)
Reference	34-011
Inscription	1979 (3rd Session)
Coordinates	5°04′57″N 1°20′53″W / 5.0826°N 1.3481°W / 5.0826; -1.3481
Location of Elmina Castle in Ghana

Elmina Castle was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine Castle), also known as Castelo da Mina or simply Mina (or Feitoria da Mina), in present-day Elmina, Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast. It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, and the oldest European building in existence south of the Sahara.^[1]

First established as a trade settlement, the castle later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade. The Dutch seized the fort from the Portuguese in 1637, after an unsuccessful attempt in 1596, and 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.^[2]

The Gold Coast gained its independence as Ghana in 1957 from United Kingdom and now controls the castle.^[3] 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.^[4][2] It is a major tourist attraction in Ghana.