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Picture:Gert Roht
Porträt:
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Elmina
Castle
Just 10 km. west of Cape Coast is the township of Elmina,
the first point of contact between the Europeans and the
inhabitants of Ghana. A visit to Elmina Castle is both
memorable and moving, for within these walls many
significant events took place that literally shaped the
history of the world. In 1471, a Portuguese expedition
arrived, led by Don Diego d'Azambuja. Because of the vast
amounts of gold and ivory they found here, they called the
area "Mina de Ouro" - The gold mine. In no time at all,
Elmina became the centre of a thriving trade in gold, ivory
and slaves, which were exchanged for cloth, beads, brass,
bracelets and other goods brought by the Portuguese. In
1482, the Portuguese built St. George's Castle (Elmina
Castle). This vast rectangular, 97,000 sq. ft. fortification
is the earliest known European structure in the tropics. As
the immensely profitable trade in gold and slaves in Elmina
increased, it began to attract the attention of other
European nations, and a struggle for control of the Castle
ensued. Finally in 1637, after two
previously
unsuccessful attempts, the Dutch captured Elmina Castle, and
remained in control for the next 274 years. The damp, unlit
dungeons in this castle also served as horrific holding
areas for the infamous slave trade.
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