Elmina Castle through time

Elmina 1953–2025 21 photos of this spot

21 photographs taken at the same spot in Elmina, spanning 1953–2025 — 7 of them from before 1980. Line them up and watch the place change.

The entrance gate of St. George's Castle in Elmina, a fort originally built by the Portuguese in the 15th century and later held by the Dutch on Ghana's coast, is shown in this 1953 photograph.

EU: Kasteel St. George, toegangspoort (1953) 1953 The entrance gate of St. George's Castle in Elmina, a fort originally built by the Portuguese in the 15th century and later held by the Dutch on Ghana's coast, is shown in this 1953 photograph.

EU: Kasteel St. George, toegangsbrug (1953) 1953 This 1953 photograph shows the entrance bridge of St. George's Castle in Elmina, one of the oldest European-built structures in sub-Saharan Africa, spanning the moat that once protected the fort.

EU: Hollandse begraafplaats, overzicht van opzij (1953) 1953 The Dutch cemetery at Elmina, burial ground for Dutch personnel once stationed at St. George's Castle, is seen from the side in this 1953 photograph, its gravestones marking generations of the colonial garrison.

EU: Kasteel St. George, overzicht westzijde (1953) 1953 This 1953 photograph offers a view of St. George's Castle in Elmina from its western side, showing the scale of the fortification along Ghana's coastline.

EU: Kasteel St. George, kleine binnenplaats gouverneursdeel (1953) 1953 A small courtyard in the governor's quarters of St. George's Castle, Elmina, is pictured in this 1953 photograph, part of the section of the fort reserved for its ranking officials.

EU: Kasteel St. George, poort aan binnenplaats (1953) 1953 This 1953 photograph shows a gateway opening onto one of the courtyards within St. George's Castle in Elmina, illustrating the fort's layout of connected enclosed spaces.

EU: Kasteel St. George, Slavenverkooplokaal op binnenplaats, interieur (1953) 1953 The interior of a room on the castle courtyard once used in the sale of enslaved people is documented in this 1953 photograph of St. George's Castle, Elmina, a site central to the transatlantic slave trade for several centuries.

Benya Lagoon Fishing Boats at Elmina 2015 Fishing boats moored on the Benya Lagoon at Elmina, Ghana, a natural harbour that has supported the town's fishing fleet for generations. Photographed in 2015.

Benya Lagoon at Elmina 2015 The Benya Lagoon at Elmina, Ghana, which forms the town's natural harbour. Photographed in 2015.

Elmina Castle 2015 Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina, is the oldest European-built structure in sub-Saharan Africa. Photographed at Elmina, Ghana, in 2015.

Cape Coast Castle View 2016 A 2016 view near Elmina on Ghana's coast, titled Cape Coast Castle View, looking out over the fortified Gold Coast shoreline. The coastline near Cape Coast and Elmina is dotted with historic European-built forts and castles dating to the era of Atlantic trade.

Castle of St George's Elmina 2018 St. George's Castle in Elmina, Ghana, photographed in 2018. Built by the Portuguese in 1482, it is among the oldest European-built structures in sub-Saharan Africa and later served as a hub in the Atlantic slave trade.

Elmina - Ghana 2019 The coastal town of Elmina in Ghana's Central Region grew around one of West Africa's earliest European trading posts, established by the Portuguese in the 15th century. This 2019 photograph shows part of the historic waterfront settlement.

Metal bridge at Elmina 2025 A weathered steel bridge spans the Benya Lagoon at Elmina, linking the town's fishing harbor, crowded with wooden canoes, to the market area near the shore, with Elmina Castle visible in the distance.

Bridge with canoe near Elmina 2025 Fishing canoes cluster beneath the metal bridge over the Benya Lagoon at Elmina, with the white walls of Elmina Castle visible in the distance and palm trees lining the far shore.

Bridge near Elmina Castle 2025 Pedestrians cross the iron bridge over the Benya Lagoon at Elmina, with the whitewashed walls of Elmina Castle rising on the point beyond and market stalls crowding the roadside near the harbor.

Old metal bridge near Elmina Castle 2025 Vendors and pedestrians cross the corroded steel bridge linking Elmina's fishing harbor to the road leading up to Elmina Castle, a route used daily by the town's fishing community.

Perspective view of Elmina castle 2025 A road sign identifies the entrance to Elmina Castle and its former slave dungeons, with the fortress's whitewashed walls visible above the palm trees and parked vehicles near the site's visitor entrance.

Elmina Castle (St. George’s Castle) 2025 St. George's Castle at Elmina was built by the Portuguese in the late 15th century and is the oldest European-built structure still standing in sub-Saharan Africa, later seized by the Dutch and used, along with the British, as a colonial fort and slave-trading post.

Bridge near the Elmina Castle 2025 A bridge near Elmina Castle, the fortress built by Portuguese traders in 1482 on Ghana's coast and later used in the Atlantic slave trade, photographed in 2025.

Elmina Castle (St. George's Castle) 2025 St. George's Castle at Elmina, Ghana, photographed in 2025; built by the Portuguese in 1482, it is regarded as the oldest European-built structure still standing in sub-Saharan Africa.