Country
Gana
City / Region
Elmina
Construction Date
Site of a Portuguese chapel (São Tiago). Dutch built/reinforced in 1652 (or transformed into a fort in 1665) after capturing Elmina Castle (1637).
Conservation status
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (collective site). Open to visitors as a museum and historical site. Described as a national monument. Function as a museum suggests maintenance. Shares general vulnerabilities of the UNESCO site.
Latitude and Longitude
5°05'05.8"N 1°21'02.9"W
Main characteristics
Elevated location on St. Jago Hill with panoramic views. Dutch military architecture focused on the land defense of the neighboring castle. Highlights the vulnerability of Elmina Castle to attacks from the interior.
Source(s)
NATIONAAL ARCHIEF. Map of Elmina showing the forts of St. George and Coenraadsburg. Wikimedia Commons, 1799. Disponível em: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AMH-7724-NA_Map_of_Elmina_showing_the_forts_of_St._George_and_Coenraadsburg.jpg. 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.