In 1667, Dutch arrived to Gold Coast (present day Ghana). With permission of the Queen of Agona, they built a small fort in the town in 1704. It served as a place of trade of gold between the Dutch and the Akim. Today we know it as Fort Goede Hoop or Fort Good Hope.
Dutch built the fort near the sea in Senya Breku. The boom in the trade of gold did not materialize, but the slave trade multiplied. By 1715, The Dutch had realized that the fort was too small to contain the people in bondage, so they expanded it in size by breaking away the diagonal and making it square-shaped. They created a large male slave prison in the southwest bastion. Around a central courtyard were ranged apartments and a hall for officers and garrison, stores, kitchens, a granary, a female slave prison, and a powder magazine. In the second half of the 18th century, an outer wall surrounded the fort.
In 1816, the Dutch abandoned the fort, British took it over but it fell into disuse by 1957. Then the local people of Akim took over regained the ownership of the fort.
Today, Fort Goede Hoop, better known as Fort Good Hope, is a small bed-and-breakfast and can be visited free. When visiting the fort, feel free to leave a tip for the caretakers of the place. Fort Good Hope is good for a historical tour and a remain of Dutch architecture in Ghana.
It is interesting to know that Fort Good Hope was the last fort built in Ghana.
