Country
Gana
City / Region
Elmina
Construction Date
Erected by the Portuguese in 1482 (Diogo de Azambuja). Renovated/expanded by the Portuguese c. 1550-1637. Captured by the Dutch in 1637. Ceded to the British in 1872.
Conservation status
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (collective site). Well-preserved, offers guided tours. Target of conservation projects (GMMB and partners). Vulnerable to environmental and development pressures. Management/local community relationship is a subject of study.
Latitude and Longitude
5°05'01.9"N 1°20'53.4"W
Main characteristics
Vast rectangular fortification (approx. 9000 m²). Initially for trade (gold, ivory), later the main center of the transatlantic slave trade. Site of the first significant European-Fanti contact and interactions with the Ashanti. Hosted early Catholic missionary activities. Subject of studies on community involvement in heritage protection.
Source(s)
BRUKU, Sandra. Community Engagement in Historical Site Protection: Lessons from the Elmina Castle Project in Ghana. Conservation and Management of Archaeological1 Sites, v. 17, n. 1, p. 67-76, fev. 2015. Disponível em: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283549454_Community_Engagement_in_Historical_Site_Protection_Lessons_from_the_Elmina_Castle_Project_in_Ghana. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.
GRAFIATI. Elmina Castle, Elmina, Ghana - Journal Articles. Grafiati, [s.d.]. Disponível em: https://www.grafiati.com/en/literature-selections/elmina-castle-elmina-ghana/journal/. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN. A new future for a colonial fort in Ghana. Harvard GSD News, fev. 2024. Disponível em: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/2024/02/a-new-future-for-a-colonial-fort-in-ghana/. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.
RESEARCHGATE. A map showing the location of Elmina and its beach. ResearchGate, [s.d.]. Disponível em: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-map-showing-the-location-of-Elmina-and-its-beach-A-The-map-of-West-Africa-including_fig1_353588884. 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.
WOMBER, Jones. Elmina Castle (Sao Jorge da Mina) and its Dark History. Athens Journal of History, v. 6, n. 4, p. 317-334, 2020. Disponível em: https://www.athensjournals.gr/history/2020-6-4-4-Womber.pdf. Acesso em: 21 abr. 2025.