Former U.S. President Barack Obama during his tour of Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. Photo credit: Latitude News
Cape Coast Castle, Ghana
Cape Coast Castle is one of the many “slave castles” built by European merchants on the West African Gold Coast (now Ghana). The original structure at the site was built by Swedish traders in the mid-17th century to serve as a hub for their trade in timber and gold, but it was later transformed into a holding center for slave traders.
During the Seven Years’ War – a global conflict fought between 1756 and 1763 – a French naval troop destroyed and almost captured the castle from the British administration. After the attack, the castle was famous for its crumbling walls and leaky roofs. In 1762, British governor, Sir Charles MacCarthy, built a wide spur with a tower on the western side.
This was followed by the construction of two new bastions with a sea gate in the middle and the extension of the tower with two stories in the 1790s. Subsequent renovations have and continue to be done. Cape Coast, along with several other forts in Ghana, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
These castles serve both as tourist attraction sites and a representation of the rare African history. So, the next time you want to tour Africa, make sure you’ve included them in your bucket list.
