| The
Portuguese Forte Santo Antonio de Axim, Ghana. This
triangular fort has two major bastions located on the northern and southern ends,
the two corners of the wide end of the triangle. A curved battery linked them. The
Portuguese constructed a rock-cut ditch some three metres deep to protect the landward
side of the fort but this was later filled in during the 17th century. Inside the fort, a
number of buildings of considerable size were raised to accommodate up to thirty soldiers.
The Forts and Castles of Ghana are inscribed
on the UNESCO World Heritage list
since 1979. Inscription criteria: The
remains of fortified trading-posts, erected between 1482 and 1786, can still be seen along
the coast of Ghana between Keta and Beyin. They were links in the trade routes established
by the Portuguese in many areas of the world during their era of great maritime
exploration. The Forts and Castles of Ghana, as inscribed on the World Heritage List in
1979, consist of three castles, 15 forts in a relatively good condition, ten forts in
ruins and seven sites with traces of former fortifications.
Books
about Portuguese in Ghana 
|
