Exploring Ghana's Cape Coast Castle Through 17 Instagrams
Originally built by Swedes for trade, Cape Coast Castle’s origins have been overtaken by its use in the transatlantic slave trade, where Africans were corralled and held before being shipped across the ocean for sale. A popular tourist destination, the Castle has always been an important point of pilgrimage for many on their visit to Ghana. We show you why.
By the cannons, looking out over the Atlantic, there is much to think about when stepping back in time.
The Castle seen from the beach at Cape Coast, on an almost picture-perfect day.
President Obama is dwarfed by the scale of his surroundings, as he gives a speech on his visit with his family in 2009.
https://www.instagram.com/p/mVbkxTwZZJ/?hl=en&taken-by=capecoast_castle
President Obama’s visit was commemorated by a plaque.
A rare aerial view of the Castle shows its scale and dominance of the coastline.
The inside of the Door of No Return, which slaves would have walked through on their final steps as they left home soil for the ships that waiting on the other side.
From the outside of the door, looking in.
Today, Cape Coast is a lively fishing port, with the fishermen lining up their colourful boats outside the Door of No Return.
A much-photographed marble plaque in memory and respect of all the souls who passed through.
A huge building, the origins of which stretch back to the 1650s and the Swedish trade in gold and timber.
A recent art installation gave new weight to the Castle’s slave history, by placing sculpted heads into the holding rooms to evoke visceral reactions of humans being held in such a way.
The realities of the inhumane conditions forced upon the African people are horrifying and hard to bear…
Brief glimpses of modern Ghana are viewed through the ancient grooves and ventilation.
Along with the Swedes, Danish, and Dutch, the British also laid claim to the Castle at one point, due to the lucrative gains to be made in the transatlantic slave trade.
A total of 52 of the famous Welsh pirate Bartholomew Roberts’ men were hanged at the Castle in 1722.
George Maclean, a former governor and important figure in the abolition of the slave trade, along with his wife, the poet Letitia Landon are both buried in the courtyard at the Castle.
Awesome clouds roll over the Castle as another day is done, the building an ominous reminder of Ghana’s difficult history.
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