WARNING : this site is made for laptops and not for tablets
GHANA - Slave Route -
Tracing the Heritage of Slavery
Slave trade and interaction with Europeans is an important chapter in Ghana's history and it left a lot of castles, also called dungeons, and forts on the atlantic coast. The visit of these castles are very interesting and also heartbreaking when visiting the underground caves. By the seventeenth century, most trade in West Africa concentrated on the sale of slaves. The castles acted as a depot where slaves were bought in bartering fashion from local African chiefs and kings. The slaves, often captured in the African interior by the slave-catchers of coastal peoples, were sold to Portuguese traders in exchange for goods. The slaves were held captive in the castle before exiting through the castle’s infamous “Door of No Return” to be transported and resold in the "New World".
BEST TIME to TRAVEL to GHANA
BEST TIME to TRAVEL to GHANA
From November to January
Fort Ussher, Slave Fort of Trans Atlantic Slave Trade
Elmina Castle - Cannons to defend the fortress
Elmina castle - view of the entrance with a drawbridge
Elmina castle
Elmina castle - the portuguese church is in the middle of the courtyard
Elmina - entrance to underground caves
Elmina castle - Interior of the castle
Cape Coast castle - main entrance
Cape Coast castle - cannons and view on the city
Cape Coast Castle - well defended
Cape Coast Castle - built for slave trade
Cape Coast castle - main building
Cape Coast castle
President Obama and the first lady visited the castle in 2009
Assin-Manso - Memorial Wall of return
Assin-Manso - Memorial Wall of return
Assin-Manso - Memorial Wall of return - Visitors from the diaspora can write their names on the wall
Assin-Manso - Memorial Wall of return - Paintings on the outside wall describing the steps of slavery
Assin-Manso - Painting : Capture of the slaves
Assin-Manso - Painting : journey of the slaves
Assin-Manso - Painting : the journey continue
Assin-Manso - Memorial Wall of return - Paintings on the outside wall describing the steps of slavery. This one represents the merchant and its slaves
Assin-Manso - Painting : Auction of slaves
Assin-Manso - painting : Bargain continue
Assin-Manso - Painting : Branding the slaves
Assin-Manso - Painting : Last bath for the slaves before departure
Assin-Manso - Painting : journey from the catle to the ship
Assin-Manso - Painting : Crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the New World
Assin-Manso - Painting : fighting for freedom
Memorial : "IN ERVERLASTING MEMORY of the anguish of our ancestors may those who died rest in peace may those who return find their roots may humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity we, the living vow to uphold this"
idyllic view from Elmina Fort
old Fort between Elmina and Accra
Elmina castle - Entrance to the underground caves where slaves were kept
This door is the entrance of the small room where fugitves were kept without any food until a certain death.
Slave Fort of Trans Atlantic Slave Trade - Underground vault where slaves were kept until their departure to the New World
Women slaves were kept underground accessible by the doors. Sometimes they were allowed to get out to this courtyard where the british governor can choose one of them for its pleasure.