The Meridian Rock
The Meridian Rock was a monument marking the point where the Greenwich Meridian crosses the Equator. The rock was set at Tema Harbour, Ghana, on the platform of Meridian Port Services Limited (MPS).[1][2]
History
[edit]The prime Meridian Line (0°00’00.00”E/W) passes through the center of Meridian Port Services Container Terminal, the line first enters MPS from the northern boundary (5°37’35.15”N) to the beach side (5°37’29.75”N) which is the closest land-based place to the point where the Greenwich Meridian Line (zero degrees longitude) crosses with the Equator (zero degrees latitude).
A rock in the sea nearby, off Halcrow Beach, also called the Meridian Rock, was believed to mark the crossing of the Meridian Line and the Equator.[3]
On 21 March 2014 the monument, a giant rock, erected by The Board of Directors, Management and Workers of Meridian Port Services Limited, was unveiled by President John Dramani Mahama.
The monument was not very successful as a tourist attraction and was removed as the harbour expanded. In 2021 it was proposed to build a church instead, to mark the Prime Meridian.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Meridian Port Services". Meridian Port Services. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
- ^ a b GNA (2021-04-27). "Greenwich Meridian lost tourism monument in Ghana". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Location of Greenwich Meridian marker, Tema". www.thegreenwichmeridian.org. Retrieved 2024-03-20.