Saint George’s Castle, Portuguese fortress in Elmina, Ghana
Castillo de San Jorge de la Mina is a stone structure on the Gulf of Guinea coast that contains a series of interconnected rooms and underground spaces. The complex spans multiple levels and includes various sections for different purposes.
Portuguese merchants built this fortification in 1482 as their first permanent trading post on the gulf coast to control commerce in gold and other goods. Later the structure came under Dutch rule and its function changed fundamentally.
The fortress stands as a place where people today come to understand and acknowledge a painful chapter in world history. It shapes how the town remembers its role in this era.
The site is open to visitors during daytime hours and best explored in the morning before crowds arrive. Comfortable shoes are important as you walk through narrow passages and climb stairs.
The underground rooms were used as storage spaces for goods, but also reveal the mostly dark and cramped conditions in which people had to live and work at that time. A walk through these underground areas gives a direct sense of that harsh reality.
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