Elmina Building on the past to create a better future
Building on the past to create a better future This book tells the story of a truly unique project that transformed the historic town of Elmina in Ghana and touched the lives of many on the way. Elmina was once the location of choice for European merchants looking for business opportunities along the th West African coast. Up to the 19 century it was an important commercial hub in a vast trading network, yet in more recent years Elmina gradually lost importance. The town that was once the capital of the Gold Coast returned to its roots mainly relying on the fishing industry for income; the buildings left to tell the stories of the past. It was at the eve of the 300-year celebrations of diplomatic relations between Ghana and the Europeans that the idea was born to use the mutual heritage as an entry point for a comprehensive upgrading exercise of the town to improve local living conditions. The project went beyond restoring monuments, looking at the environment, involving the people and boosting the local economy. This book shows the results of the project through the eyes of the target group: the Elminians. They proudly show the monuments and merchant houses restored to their former glory and tell how the project impacted the town and their lives.
ELMINA Building on the past to create a better future
ISBN 978-9068326147
9 789068 326147
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