During the colonial period in Ghana, known as the Gold Coast, from the 15th to the 19th centuries, European-style forts and castles were built mainly by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British. These forts connected trading routes started by the Portuguese and served as important places for trading gold and enslaved people.
Because they show evidence of trade between African and European people before and during colonial times, including the Atlantic slave trade, and because they had a big impact on West Africa’s history, several of these forts and outposts were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Kumasi Fort in the Ashanti Region was first built by an Asante king to copy the style of these colonial forts.
Coastal regions
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central, and Western Regions is the name given by UNESCO to European-style forts and castles built by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British along the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) during the colonial period. This name refers to a group of forts and castles listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. These include:
- Three castles: Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, St. George’s Castle in Elmina, and Christiansborg Castle in Osu, Accra.
- Fifteen forts: Good Hope Fort in Senya Beraku, Patience Fort in Apam, Amsterdam Fort in Abandze, St. Jago Fort in Elmina, San Sebastian Fort in Shama, Metal Cross Fort in Dixcove, St. Anthony Fort in Axim, Orange Fort in Sekondi, Fort Groß Friedrichsburg in Prince’s Town, William (Lighthouse) Fort in Cape Coast, William Fort in Anomabu, Victoria Fort in Cape Coast, Ussher Fort in Usshertown, Accra, James Fort in Jamestown, Accra, and Apollonia Fort in Beyin.
- Four forts partially in ruins: Amsterdam Fort in Abandze (listed both as a fort and as a partially ruined fort by UNESCO), English Fort in British Komenda, Batenstein Fort in Butre, and Prinzensten Fort in Keta.
- Ruins with visible structures: Nassau Fort in Mouri, Fredensborg Fort in Old Ningo, Vredenburg Fort in Dutch Komenda, Vernon Fort in Prampram, and Dorothea Fort in Akwidaa.
- Two sites with traces of former fortifications: Frederiksborg Fort in Amanful and Cape Coast Fort Augustaborg in Teshie.
Additional forts listed by Ghana’s Museums and Monuments Board include:
• Fort Fredericksburg in Amanful (different from Fort Frederiksborg/Fort Royal near Cape Coast Castle),
• Fort McCarthy in Cape Coast,
• The Little Fort in Anomabu,
• Fort Tantumquery in Otuam.
Forts not listed as heritage sites (mostly destroyed or lost):
• Fort Winneba in Winneba,
• Fort Sekondi in Sekondi,
• Fort Kongenstein in Ada,
• Fort Elize Carthago near Axim,
• Fort Ruychaver on the Ankobra River,
• Fort Witsen near Sekondi.
By region (from East to West):
• Volta Region: Fort Prinzenstein in Keta (coordinates: 5°55′18″N 0°59′37″E).
• Greater Accra Region: Fort Fredensborg in Old Ningo (coordinates: 5°45′04″N 0°11′01″E), Fort Vernon in Prampram (coordinates: 5°43′31″N 0°07′00″E), Fort Augustaborg in Teshie (coordinates: 5°35′00″N 0°06′00″W), Osu Castle (Christiansborg) in Accra (coordinates: 5°32′49″N 0°10′57″W), Ussher Fort in Accra (coordinates: 5°32′19″N 0°12′30″W), and Fort James in Accra (coordinates: 5°32′01″N 0°12′40″W).
• Central Region: Fort Good Hope (Fort Goede Hoop) in Senya Beraku (coordinates: 5°23′15″N 0°29′23″W), Fort Patience in Apam (coordinates: 5°17′10″N 0°43′41″W), Fort Amsterdam in Abandze (coordinates: 5°11′32″N 1°05′35″W), Fort William in Anomabu (coordinates: 5°10′27″N 1°07′08″W), Fort Nassau in Moree (coordinates: 5°08′00″N 1°12′00″W), Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast (coordinates: 5°06′12″N 1°14′33″W), Fort William (Lighthouse) in Cape Coast (coordinates: 5°06′29″N 1°14′39″W), Fort Victoria in Cape Coast (coordinates: 5°06′24″N 1°14′57″W), Elmina Castle in Elmina (coordinates: 5°04′57″N 1°20′53″W), Fort Coenraadsburg in Elmina (coordinates: 5°05′04″N 1°21′03″W), Fort Vredenburgh in Komenda (coordinates: 5°03′06″N 1°29′01″W), and English Fort in Komenda (coordinates: 5°03′00″N 1°29′22″W).
• Western Region: Fort San Sebastian in Shama (coordinates: 5°00′39″N 1°37′45″W), Fort Orange in Sekondi (coordinates: 4°56′09″N 1°40′73″W), Fort Batenstein in Butri (coordinates: 4°49′37″N 1°55′17″W), Fort Metal Cross in Dixcove (coordinates: 4°47′36″N 1°56′42″W), Fort Groß Friedrichsburg in Prince’s Town (coordinates: 4°47′28″N 2°08′02″W), Fort Santo Antonio in Axim (coordinates: 4°52′05″N 2°14′40″W), and Fort Apollonia in Beyin (coordinates: 4°59′15″N 2°35′25″W).