Fort Orange

Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Ghana

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Fort Orange is a historic Dutch fortification located in Sekondi, part of the Sekondi-Takoradi city in Ghana's Western Region, built originally by the Dutch West India Company in 1642 as a trading lodge that operated during the 1670s before being expanded into a full fort in 1690 to support growing European trade and provide protection against local conflicts and rival European powers.

The fort was attacked by the indigenous Ahantas people in September 1694, prompting reconstruction into a much more fortified structure by 1704, with its cannons mainly directed at the nearby British Fort Sekondi which was constructed in 1682 adjacent to it.

Fort Orange played a significant role in both the gold and slave trade during the colonial period, and in 1872 it was transferred to British control along with the rest of the Dutch Gold Coast holdings following the Anglo-Dutch treaty, after which it served as a lighthouse. Today, the weathered white colonial fort with "FORT ORANGE" inscribed on its arched entrance serves as a naval base for the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing for the Forts and Castles of Ghana.