Country
Gana
City / Region
Cape Coast
Construction Date
Portuguese post (Cabo Corso) 1555. Swedish fort (Carolusburg) 1653. Captured by the British in 1664 (renamed). Expanded into a castle c. 1700. Rebuilt by the British after 1760. Seat of British administration until 1877.
Conservation status
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (collective site). Museum renovated (1994). Appears to be well-preserved, open to the public with guided tours. Subject to the general vulnerabilities of the UNESCO site. Function evolved from a colonial center to a museum and site of memory.
Latitude and Longitude
5°06'14.1"N 1°14'27.9"W
Main characteristics
Includes Dalzel Tower, cannons, mortars, dungeons for enslaved people. Houses the West African Historical Museum (collection on European arrival, local culture, slave trade). Associated with the introduction of Christianity and formal education ("Castle Schools"). Regional headquarters of the GMMB. Visited by Barack Obama in 2009.
Source(s)
MOMAA. Cape Coast Castle Museum. Museum of Modern African Art Directory, [s.d.]. Disponível em: https://momaa.org/directory/cape-coast-castle-museum/. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.
UNESCO. A Historic Visit to Ghana's UNESCO Heritage Castles. UNESCO Articles, [s.d.]. Disponível em: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/historic-visit-ghanas-unesco-heritage-castles. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE. Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions. UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1979. Disponível em: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/34/. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.
VISIT GHANA. Cape Coast Castle. Visit Ghana Attractions, [s.d.]. Disponível em: https://visitghana.com/attractions/cape-coast-castle/. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.