Elmina Castle (São Jorge da Mina)

Timeline

1. 1482Elmina (Mina) · ElminaTo consolidate the royal gold monopoly, John II ordered Diogo de Azambuja to lead more than ten ships carrying pre-processed stone, craftsmen, and about six hundred men to build a stone fort near an Akan settlement. Named São Jorge da Mina, the castle had a near-rectangular plan with projecting corner towers, containing a chapel, storage, and garrison quarters—the first permanent stone fortress built by Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. 1486–1515São Jorge da Mina · ElminaIn 1486 the settlement received a town charter, and the fort replaced the Arguin trading post in Mauritania as the core base of Guinea trade. Portugal exchanged cloth, brass, and shells for gold, with gold imports reaching several hundred kilograms in the early 16th century. Meanwhile navigators such as Diogo Cão continued south along the West African coast, with Elmina serving as a resupply and intelligence node for exploration. The slave trade gradually grew heavier from the 16th century.
3. 1637Elmina Castle · ElminaAfter the Dutch West India Company captured the castle in 1637, the fortress became the Dutch administrative and slave-trade hub on the Gold Coast; in the 19th century it passed to Britain. Dungeons and the 'Door of No Return' record the violence of the transatlantic slave trade. In 1979 the castle was inscribed as part of Ghana's coastal fortresses World Heritage Site, now a memorial site and museum.