Cape Coast Castle: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Cape Coast Castle is one of about forty 'slave castles' built on the Gold Coast of West Africa by European traders. Located in Cape Coast, Ghana, it was originally built by the Swedes in 1653 for the timber and gold trade and later expanded by the Dutch and British, who used it as a key holding fort for enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade. Today it is a museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated 1979 as part of Forts and Castles, Gold Coast). It draws thousands of visitors each year, including diaspora pilgrimages. Notable visits include U.S. Presidents Barack Obama (2009) and Bill Clinton.