Explore Fort Jesus Mombasa
Explore Fort Jesus Mombasa : The most popular attraction in Mombasa is this 16th-century fort, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Not only are the metre-thick walls, inside frescoes, European graffiti remnants, Arabic inscriptions, and Swahili embellishments captivating, but they also serve as a tangible representation of Mombasa’s past and the shore. You can wander the grounds shrouded by trees and climb up on the battlements. The Portuguese constructed the fort in 1593 as a headquarters and a sign of their ongoing presence in this area of the Indian Ocean. Ironically, though, the fort’s construction signalled the beginning of the end for Portuguese power in the area. Between 1631 and the early 1870s, the fort changed hands at least nine times due to Portuguese sailors, Omani soldiers, and Swahili uprisings. Eventually, it came under British authority and was used as a jail; it opened as a museum in 1960.
Giovanni Battista Cairati, whose structures may be found all over Portugal’s eastern colonies, from Old Goa to Old Mombasa, finished the fort as his last project. The structure is a masterwork of historical military architecture; if it had been adequately staffed, it would have been impossible to approach the walls without getting caught in the cone of interlocking fire zones. Notable is the Mazrui Hall inside the fort compound, where floral spirals fade across a wall capped with wooden lintels left by the Omani Arabs. Portuguese sailors in another room scribbled graffiti that depicts the diverse naval identity of the Indian Ocean, covering the walls with images of three-pointed Arabic dhows, four-pointed European frigates, and the sophisticated Swahili mtepe (traditional sailing vessel) sewn with coir.
Constructed in the late 1700s, the Omani residence is located in the northwest corner of the fort’s San Felipe bastion. A tiny fishing dhow is situated outside the house. A tiny display of Omani jewellery, weapons, and other antiquities is housed inside. An Omani audience hall and the Passage of the Arches, which leads beneath the pinkish-brown coral to a double-azure view of the sea floating beneath the sky, are located on the eastern wall. Within the fort’s core is a museum showcasing artefacts from 42 Portuguese warships sunk during the 1697 Omani Siege, ranging from Chinese porcelain and amulets to barnacled earthenware jars. They are appallingly displayed and have inadequate labelling, just like the rest of the complex. In spite of this, you shouldn’t miss the fort.
While official and informal guides will offer you tours as soon as you approach the fort, you may be able to escape group excursions if you arrive early in the day. While some of them may be really helpful, others may not be. Regretfully, you will have to determine which is which by using your discretion. For a tour of Fort Jesus or the Old Town, official guides charge KSh1200; unauthorised guides charge whatever they can. Give your guide a firm but kind “no” if you don’t want a tour; otherwise, they’ll start selling you on something and probably demand a gratuity at the end. Alternatively, you can purchase the Fort Jesus guidebook at the admission booth and explore on your own.
Mandhry Mosque
The oldest mosque in the city, Mandhry Mosque in the Old Town, was established in 1570. It is a superb example of Swahili architecture, which blends the soothing, geometric patterns of African design with the graceful flourishes of Arabic style. Take note of the minaret’s gentle rounding. Closed to outsiders.
Lord Shiva Temple
With so many Hindus living in Mombasa, there are plenty of places of worship. Open and spacious, the massive Lord Shiva Temple is highlighted by an intriguing sculpture garden.
Elephant Tusks ( Pembe za Ndovu)
The city greets travellers with two arches adorned with enormous reproductions of elephant tusks atop Moi Ave. Adjacent to them lies the serene and verdant Uhuru Gardens, including enormous trees adorned with fruit bats and bubbling fountains.
Holy Ghost Cathedral
The neo-Gothic buttressed Christian Holy Ghost Cathedral is a striking example of European design, with large fans embedded in the walls to provide cooling for its previous colonial audiences.
Spice Market
This market is a sensory overload that stretches along Nehru and Langoni road west of the Old Town. Along with lots of jostling, yelling, wheeling and dealing, you can also expect to smell exotic spices like cardamom, pepper, turmeric and curry powder from stall upon stall. Langoni Rd is home to stalls that sell delicious street food.
Haller park
A fish farm and reptile park may be found in this charming animal refuge, which is a component of the Baobab Adventure complex. One and a half-hour guided tours of the park are available, or you can explore the pathways that wind through casuarina groves on your own. You may feed some of the amiable giraffes, watch some massive tortoises roaming the grounds, see the resident hippos and impalas, and take part in the feeding sessions for crocodiles and hippos.
Baobab Adventure is a delightful illustration of how ecology and entrepreneurship can coexist. It was born out of the odd union between Bamburi Cement and a group of environmentalists. The restoration of its own former cement factory has been financed by Bamburi Cement. There are prominent bus stops and ample signage directing visitors to the many sections of the Baobab Adventure, including the forest paths, from the highway north of Mombasa.
Jumba la Mtwana
Situated north of Mtwapa Creek, these Swahili remains possess an equally impressive archaeological magnificence as the more well-known Gede ruins. Locals think that Jumba la Mtwana, which translates to “Big House of Slaves,” was a significant slave harbour in the fourteenth or fifteenth century. There’s a great restaurant by the sea, a tiny museum dedicated to Swahili culture, and wonderful tours offered by the custodian for a small charge. The remains are located 2 km north of the Mtwapa Creek bridge, down a 3 km access road. The construction remnants, featuring exposed foundations for mangrove beam poles, ablution tanks, the weight of the local baobabs, and the winding branches of 600-year-old trees that may have formerly been a neighbouring sacred grove, are truly remarkable. Your mind might go wild with ideas of hidden treasures, ghosts, pirates, and deserted cities as the dusk light fades.
Ambergris, a perfume made from the intestinal secretions of whale sperm, was exchanged here along with turtle shells and rhino horns, though it’s possible that slaves were also involved. Jumba received merchandise in exchange, including pieces of Chinese dishes that are still visible on the floors of certain buildings. When visiting, look out for the holes in the upper wall where the mangrove support beams were fixed, the numerous cisterns indicating the Swahilis’ attention to detail, the House of Many Doors, thought to have been a guesthouse, and 40-meter-deep, dried-out wells. The Mosque by the Sea, which has a breathtaking view of the Indian Ocean, is something you shouldn’t miss.
Take note of the Arabic words, “Every Soul Shall Taste Death,” written on the stela next to the local cemetery. There is a tiny hole underneath that symbolises the portal that all people have to travel through to reach paradise.
