Elmina ca through time

Elmina 1860–2019 17 photos of this spot

17 photographs taken at the same spot in Elmina, spanning 1860–2019 — 5 of them from before 1980. Line them up and watch the place change.

Elmina Castle, the fortress built on Ghana's Gold Coast by the Portuguese in 1482 and later held by the Dutch, appears here from the shoreline in an 1860 view. The stronghold anchored European trade, and later the transatlantic slave trade, along this stretch of coastline.

NMM - Zicht op fort Elmina 1860 Elmina Castle, the fortress built on Ghana's Gold Coast by the Portuguese in 1482 and later held by the Dutch, appears here from the shoreline in an 1860 view. The stronghold anchored European trade, and later the transatlantic slave trade, along this stretch of coastline.

Elmina ca 1865 Elmina's waterfront around 1865, with the walls of the Dutch-era castle overlooking the fishing town that grew up beside it on Ghana's Gold Coast. The fort had already stood for centuries by the time this photograph was taken.

High Street, Elmina ca 1865 A view along Elmina's High Street around 1865, showing the town that developed in the shadow of its coastal fort, one of the oldest European structures in sub-Saharan Africa and long a hub of trade along the Gold Coast.

Museum Bronbeek - Foto van Kasteel Elmina 1870 Elmina Castle photographed in 1870, decades after the Dutch had taken over the Portuguese-built fortress that dominates this stretch of Ghana's coast, by then long past its original role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Elmina High Street ca 1905 Elmina's High Street around 1905, still shaped by the fort that had overlooked the town since the Portuguese first built there in the fifteenth century, by then under British colonial administration.

View of Elmina Castle from a distance 2008 This 2008 photograph shows Elmina Castle from a distance along Ghana's coastline. Raised by the Portuguese in 1482 and later taken over by the Dutch, the fortress was long used as a hub of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Fishing Nets Piled along Beach - Elmina - Ghana 2010 Fishing nets piled along the beach at Elmina, Ghana, photographed in 2010. Elmina remains an active fishing port beside the fifteenth-century St. George's Castle.

Fort St. Jago - Elmina - Ghana 2010 Fort St. Jago overlooking Elmina, Ghana, photographed in 2010. Built by the Dutch in 1666 on a hill above the town, the fort was constructed to defend the nearby St. George's Castle.

Panorama of Elmina from Fort St. Jago - with St. George's Castle Visible - Elmina - Ghana 2010 A panorama of Elmina, Ghana, seen from Fort St. Jago in 2010, with St. George's Castle visible along the coastline. St. George's Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482, is among the oldest European structures in sub-Saharan Africa.

Perogues in Harbour with Fort St. Jago at Rear - Elmina - Ghana 2010 Wooden pirogues gathered in the harbour at Elmina, Ghana, with Fort St. Jago visible on the hill behind, photographed in 2010. Fishing canoes of this type remain central to the town's economy.

Street Scene (Liverpool Street) - Elmina - Ghana 2010 A street scene on Liverpool Street in Elmina, Ghana, captured in 2010. Elmina's town center retains a mix of colonial-era and modern buildings near its historic harbour.

View of St. George's Castle from Seashore - Elmina - Ghana 2010 St. George's Castle at Elmina, Ghana, seen from the seashore in 2010. Built by Portuguese traders in 1482, it is the oldest European-built structure still standing in sub-Saharan Africa.

View over Elmina and Benya Lagoon from Fort St. Jago - Elmina - Ghana 2010 A view over Elmina and the Benya Lagoon from Fort St. Jago, Ghana, photographed in 2010. The lagoon separates the older fishing town from newer parts of Elmina.

View over Seashore and Town from St. George's Castle - Elmina - Ghana 2010 The seashore and town of Elmina, Ghana, viewed from the ramparts of St. George's Castle in 2010. The castle's elevated position gave it command of both the harbour and the surrounding coastline.

Colonial Town of Elmina 2013 A view of Elmina on Ghana's coast, photographed in 2013. The town's core still bears the imprint of centuries of Portuguese and later Dutch colonial-era building along the Gulf of Guinea.

Benya lagoon and it surroundings located in Elmina 2019 Benya Lagoon separates the old town of Elmina from its harbor, sheltering the fishing fleet that has long sustained this Central Region coastal community in Ghana. Photographed in 2019.

Elmina, a coastal town 2019 Elmina, a coastal town in Ghana's Central Region, grew around a harbor and trading post established by Portuguese traders in the 15th century, and remains a working fishing town today. Photographed in 2019.