Elmina Castle is the oldest European building in Sub-Saharan Africa. They built it in 1482 by the Portuguese to serve as a trading point between the people of the Gold Coast. Some Portuguese were Christians, and they needed a place of worship. In order not to disturb the local people, they built a chapel.
That chapel is today’s Fort St. Jago in Central Elmina. The Portuguese built Fort St. Jago around 1558 as a worship centre to honour St. Jago. They did not initially build it as a fort, but it was the Dutch travellers who designed and reconstructed it as a fort.
To capture the Elmina Castle and the Portuguese Gold Coast, the Dutch used the fort to launch a successful attack on the Portuguese. After they prevailed, they converted the chapel into a fort and used it as a military protection unit for the Elmina Castle. Later, it became a prison centre to discipline Europeans who misbehave at the Gold Coast.
If you want to visit Fort St. Jogo, climb to the apex of the St. George Hill in Elmina. As you get there, you will also have a panoramic view of Central Elmina, looking at the sea, coastlines and other notable places in the town.
