Fort Cormantin: The story behind one of Ghana’s oldest castles

Fort Amsterdam, originally known as Fort Cormantin (or Courmantyne) holds a significant place in Ghana’s colonial history.

Constructed in 1631 at Abandze in the Central Region, the fort initially served as a trading post for the English.

The structure was designed with a rectangular layout, featuring two square bastions and two round bastions at its corners, all connected by curtain walls.

At the centre was a courtyard, around which several buildings were arranged: a one-storey building on the western side, a two-storey building along the northern side, and two or three storey structures along the southern side.

The northern bastion and curtain wall were built solidly with stone and mortar, while the other sections were constructed using earth filling between two stone walls. Over time, structural cracks and disintegration affected parts of the fort, leading to periods when it was left unoccupied.

One distinctive feature was the southeastern bastion, which was designed as a hollow structure with grated roof ventilation.

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This space was later used as a slave prison, believed to be the first of its kind on the Gold Coast; enslaved Africans taken from the fort became widely known in the Caribbean and the Americas as ‘Coromantee.’

After the British lost control of the fort, it came under Dutch rule, during which it became an important trading hub for gold, ivory, and enslaved people, playing a role in the wider transatlantic slave trade along the West African coast.

In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Estey Atisu, tour guide Joseph Kofi Kakraba explained that the fort later renamed Fort Amsterdam was not originally built as a slave dungeon.

“The fort had no dungeon and only one exit. It is the biggest fort built by the British in 1631 for trade, not slavery,” he stated.

He also urged both tourists and residents to visit the historic site to learn about its history and ensure that knowledge of the fort and its role in Ghana’s past is preserved for future generations.

Watch the video below

WOW!!! 📣 Fort Amsterdam, Britain’s first fort in Africa and a gateway to the past📣



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