The Republic of Ghana was formerly known as the Gold Coast because of abundance of gold in this region. This lovely country of sunshine beaches and historic forts and castles got the name after its independence from the British rulers. Castle St. George d'Elmina, Elmina was built by 600 men, who were shipped from Portugal. Castle St. George d'Elmina, Elmina is believed to be the first point of contact between the black Africans and the Europeans.
The site of the castle had been carefully chosen. Castle St. George d'Elmina, Elmina is situated at the tip of the peninsula and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Benya Lagoon. The castle was a small rectangular fortress in the earlier times. The modern fort is ten times the size of the original. The main extension of the palace took place during the mid 17th century at the time of the Dutch possession.
In its early days, the castle itself was a small town, comprising of living quarters, a chapel, an officer's mess, an auction hall and a storage hall. The castle was a living place to a host of soldiers and merchants. It is believed that around 1000 slaves were housed in the castle. Even a Christian primary school was set up in the castle. During the first year of construction Castle St. George d'Elmina, Elmina was visited by Christopher Columbus, much before his voyage to America.
Tourism plays a very important role in Ghana's economy and every tourist visiting Ghana makes it a point to visit Castle St. George d'Elmina, Elmina once. Do remember to visit this heritage site, while holidaying in Ghana. Almost 10000 tourists pay a visit to Castle St. George d'Elmina every year and half of them are European tourists. You will be surprised to learn that most of the tourists visit the town only to catch a glimpse of the castle, which is one of the premier tourist attractions in Elmina.
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