Fort Metal Cross

Dixcove, Ghana, Ghana

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Fort Metal Cross is a historic coastal fortification located in Dixcove, Ghana, on a promontory near the fishing village of Infuma in the Western Region.

Built by the British in 1692 and originally called Dixcove Fort, it was constructed to exploit Ghana's gold resources and attract English captains trading at nearby German forts, though the hoped-for gold never materialized, leading to its nickname "the fake mint of the Gold Coast".

The fort served as a service station for ship repairs and timber supply from surrounding forests, and during the Atlantic slave trade, it became a slave prison where countless Africans were held in underground dungeons before being transported to Europe and the Americas.

The fort was besieged twice in 1712 but defended successfully, and in 1868 it was transferred to the Dutch under the Anglo-Dutch Gold Coast Treaty, becoming Fort Metalen Kruis, before reverting to British control in 1872 when it was renamed Fort Metal Cross.