Elmina Castle is historically important as it is the earliest European construction in the Gulf of Guinea, and the oldest castle in sub-Saharan Africa.

Elmina Castle History

Building at the castle commenced in 1482 and was finished in 1486. It was first named São Jorge da Mina. It was used for the gold and ivory trade mainly at the beginning.

In 1637 the Dutch army bombarded the castle from a nearby hill and took over control of it. They renamed it Elmina Castle and built another fort on the hill they used to attack Elmina Castle to prevent others to attack it.

After they took over control of the castle the Dutch enlarged it and restored it. It continued to be used as a trade center for gold and ivory as well as a slave center until 1814 when the Dutch abolished the slave trade.

It is estimated that about 30000 slaves were traded every year in Elima until slave trading was abolished.

In 1872, Elima castle passed into British hands, but it wasn’t used as a trade center anymore. After the independence of Ghana, in 1957 Elima was used as a school and a police center for recruits.

Today, along with other slave castles in Ghana like the Cape Coast castle, Elmina is a World Heritage site.

Elmina Castle Visitor Information

In 1996 a museum was opened in Elima Castle. The entrance fee is $7 for a foreign adult and $4 for students and $2 for children.

The Elmina Castle is open for visits daily between 9:00 to 16:30.

Elmina Castle Location

Elimna Castle is situated in the town of Elmina, situated just 12 km away from Cape Coast.

Elmina Castle Map

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Cape Coast Castle History

The Swedish Africa Company built the original timber Cape Coast Castle in 1653 on the site of a Portuguese trading lodge of 1555.

Its original name, given by the Swedish, was Carolusborg.

The British, who conquered it in 1664, rebuilt it on a much larger scale, in stone. The fortified castle served as a timber and gold trading center until the 19th century when it became the starting point of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Its dungeons housed huge numbers of African slaves destined for transportation to North America. After falling into decay, the castle was restored in 1920 by the British.

A comprehensive historical and ethnographical museum was established in the castle after Ghana’s independence in 1974. In the 1990s, many international organizations helped restore the castle.

It is currently administered by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. The museum exhibits maps of slave trading, objects that were exchanged between the natives and the Europeans, gold weights, and prints of slave ships.

Visitor Information

The castle, along with other slave castles from Ghana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

The entrance fee for an adult costs $7 and for students, it is $4. The museum is open from 9:00 to 16:30 every day.

A guided tour of the Cape Coast castle is included in this price and that includes visits to the famous dungeons where the slaves were kept.

Cape Coast Castle Location

Address: The Cape Coast Castle is located on Victoria Road in Cape Coast, the capital of central Ghana. Get help with directions using the map provided below:

Cape Coast Castle Map

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