The Slave Lodge

The Slave Lodge is one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town. It was built in 1679 by Dutch East India Comapany as a lodge for their slaves. The original building was one story with a courtyard that housed slaves as well as the criminals and the emotionally disturbed. In the mid 18th century the British acquired the building and added a second story. The slaves were moved to a different location and the British used it for government offices. Appoximately 600 slaves were housed in this building at one time. In 1810 restoration took place and the lodge was used as the first post office, library, and supreme court in Cape Town.

Today the Slave Lodge is part of the South African Cultural History Musuem where visitors can learn about Cape Town's history and view it's collections of South African ceramics, toys, tools, silver, textiles and view artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and the near and far East.

Goree Island

Goree Island Castle was built by the French off the coast of Senegal and was the main port from which slave ships left West Africa from America. The door, in the castle that led slaves to the waiting ships is known as the "door of no return". It is now a favorite tourist attraction.

Fort Christianbourg

Fort Christianborg was originally built in 1525 by the Swedes as a lodge, but in 1660 it was taken by the Dutch. In 1661 the Danes captured it and made it into a fort and renamed it Fort Christianborg. The Danes occupied Fort Christianborg for nearly 200 years except for short occupancy by the Portuguese in 1680 when a Danish governor sold it to them. The Portuguese renamed it Fort Sao Francisco Xavier but later abandoned it in 1682. In 1683 it was inhabited by the Akwamu tribe until the Danish from the nearby Fort Fredrichsburg reoccupied it in 1683 and move their headquarters from Fort Fredrichsburg to Fort Christianborg in 1685. In 1693 it was occupied by an African tribe and then th Danes retook it in 1694 and in 1850 sold it to the British.

Fort Nassau

The land Fort Nassau sits on was originally used between 1595 and 1600 for a small unfortified lodge to trade gold, but in 1610 the fort was attacked by the Portuguese and burnt to the ground. In 1612 the Portuguese used this land to build their first fort on the Gold Coast.

Fort san Sebastian (Shama)

The Portuguese built this wooden fort in 1558. In 1637 the Dutch occupied it. In 1664 the English captured it. In 1665 the Dutch regained possession of it and rebuilt it and in 1872 it was ceded to the British.

Fort Metal Cross at Dix Cove

Fort Metal Cross at Dix Cove is one of the tourist favorites in Ghana.

Fort Santo Antonio de Axim (Axim)

This fort was built by the Portuguese in 1503 and during their rule was an important trading center. In 1642 the Dutch captured it and in 1664 the English captured it. It was recaptured by the Dutch in 1665 and sold to the English in 1872.

Fort Gross-Fredrichsburg (Princestown)

This fort was built by the Danes, captured by the Dutch in 1725 and renamed Fort Hollandia, and abandoned by in 1815.

Fort Coromantine

Fort Coromantine is now a tourist favorite in Ghana. It was built in 1645 and renamed Fort Amsterdam in 1665 when the Dutch occupied it. 1782 it was surrendered to the English and was given right back to the Durch by treaty. In 1811 the African tribe of Anomabu captured the fort. It was later abandoned.

Fort Amsterdam

Fort Coromantine