List of castles in Ghana

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

CriteriaCultural: (vi)Reference34Inscription1979 (3rd Session)

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:
  • Cape Coast at Cape Coast
  • St. George's d’Elmina at Elmina
  • Christiansborg at Osu, Accra
• 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
  • Fort Groß Friedrichsburg [de] 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:
  • Frederiksborg at Amanful, Cape Coast
  • Fort Augustaborg at Teshie

Gallery

• 
  Fort São Sebastião de Xama.
• 
  Fort William.
• 
  Fort Amsterdam (Ghana)
• 
  Fort Batenstein
• 
  Fort Christiansborg
• 
  Fort Victoria, Cape Coast
• 
  Fort Metal Cross

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 (5°55′18″N 0°59′37″E / 5.92167°N 0.99361°E / 5.92167; 0.99361)
• Greater Accra Region:
  • Fort Fredensborg, Old Ningo (5°45′04″N 0°11′01″E / 5.751°N 0.1835°E / 5.751; 0.1835)
  • Fort Vernon, Prampram (5°43′31″N 0°07′00″E / 5.7253°N 0.1168°E / 5.7253; 0.1168)
  • Fort Augustaborg, Teshie (5°35′00″N 0°06′00″W / 5.583333°N 0.100000°W / 5.583333; -0.100000)
  • Osu Castle (Christiansborg), Accra (5°32′49″N 0°10′57″W / 5.54694°N 0.18250°W / 5.54694; -0.18250)
  • Ussher Fort, Accra (5°32′19″N 0°12′30″W / 5.5385°N 0.2082°W / 5.5385; -0.2082)
  • Fort James, Accra (5°32′01″N 0°12′40″W / 5.5337°N 0.2111°W / 5.5337; -0.2111)
• Central Region:
  • Fort Good Hope (Fort Goede Hoop), Senya Beraku (5°23′15″N 0°29′23″W / 5.3874°N 0.4898°W / 5.3874; -0.4898)
  • Fort Lijdzaamheid ('Patience'), Apam (5°17′10″N 0°43′41″W / 5.286°N 0.7281°W / 5.286; -0.7281)
  • Fort Amsterdam, Abandze (5°11′32″N 1°05′35″W / 5.192222°N 1.093056°W / 5.192222; -1.093056)
  • Fort William, Anomabu (5°10′27″N 1°07′08″W / 5.17419°N 1.1189°W / 5.17419; -1.1189)
  • Fort Nassau, Moree (5°08′00″N 1°12′00″W / 5.133333°N 1.2°W / 5.133333; -1.2)
  • Cape Coast Castle, Cape Coast (5°06′12″N 1°14′33″W / 5.10333°N 1.24250°W / 5.10333; -1.24250)
  • Fort William (Lighthouse), Cape Coast (5°06′29″N 1°14′39″W / 5.10797°N 1.24428°W / 5.10797; -1.24428)
  • Fort Victoria, Cape Coast (5°06′24″N 1°14′57″W / 5.1068°N 1.2491°W / 5.1068; -1.2491)
  • Elmina Castle, Elmina (5°04′57″N 1°20′53″W / 5.082600°N 1.348100°W / 5.082600; -1.348100)
  • Fort Coenraadsburg, Elmina (5°05′04″N 1°21′03″W / 5.08444°N 1.35083°W / 5.08444; -1.35083)
  • Fort Vredenburgh, Komenda (5°03′06″N 1°29′01″W / 5.051745°N 1.483541°W / 5.051745; -1.483541)
  • English Fort, Komenda (5°03′00″N 1°29′22″W / 5.050000°N 1.489444°W / 5.050000; -1.489444)
• Western Region:
  • Fort San Sebastian, Shama (5°00′39″N 1°37′45″W / 5.010825°N 1.629199°W / 5.010825; -1.629199)
  • Fort Orange, Sekondi (4°56′09″N 1°42′26″W / 4.9357°N 1.7073°W / 4.9357; -1.7073)
  • Fort Batenstein, Butri (4°49′37″N 1°55′17″W / 4.826944°N 1.921389°W / 4.826944; -1.921389)
  • Fort Metal Cross, Dixcove (4°47′36″N 1°56′42″W / 4.79335°N 1.9451°W / 4.79335; -1.9451)
  • Fort Groß Friedrichsburg [de], Prince's Town (4°47′28″N 2°08′02″W / 4.791083°N 2.133889°W / 4.791083; -2.133889)
  • Fort Santo Antonio, Axim (4°52′05″N 2°14′40″W / 4.8680°N 2.2444°W / 4.8680; -2.2444)
  • Fort Apollonia, Beyin (4°59′15″N 2°35′25″W / 4.9874°N 2.5902°W / 4.9874; -2.5902)

Other regions

• Kumasi Fort in the Ashanti Region.^[2]

See also

• List of castles in Africa

References

External links

• Ghana-Net: Forts and Castles of Ghana (with pictures)
• Ghana Place Names: Forts & Castles (meanings and origins of names)