FORT JESUS

FORT JESUS, MOMBASA, KENYA

The Fort Jesus is located in Mombasa Island which is in the Coast province of Kenya. It lies a distance of about 490-km from Nairobi city.

The Portuguese built Fort Jesus in 1593. The site chosen was a coral ridge at the entrance to the harbor. The Fort was designed by an Italian Architect and Engineer, Joao, Batista Cairato. The earliest known plan of the Fort is in a manuscript Atlas by Manuel Godinho de Heredia - dated 1610 which shows the original layout of the buildings inside the Fort.

Portuguese drawings Fort Jesus, Mombasa

Fort Jesus was built to secure the safety of Portuguese living on the East Coast of Africa. It has had a long history of hostilities of the interested parties that used to live in Mombasa. Perhaps no Fort in Africa has experienced such turbulence as Fort Jesus. Omani Arabs attacked the Fort from 1696 to 1698. The state of the Fort can be understood from the plan of Rezende of 1636 and other plans by Don Alvaro? Marquis of Cienfuegas and Jose? Lopes de Sa - made during the brief reoccupation by the Portuguese in 1728 - 1729. In the Cienfuegas plan, the names of the bastions are changed.

Fort Jesus Barracks, Mombasa

Between 1837 and 1895, the Fort was used as barracks for the soldiers. When the British protectorate was proclaimed on the 1st of July 1895, the Fort was converted into a prison. The huts were removed and cells were built. On the 24th October 1958, Fort Jesus was declared a National Park in the custody of the Trustees of the Kenya National Parks. Excavation was carried out and the Fort became a Museum in 1962. The Fort is now an important historical landmark in the East African region.

Fort Jesus MuseumThe Fort Jesus museum was built with a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation. The exhibits consist of finds from archaeological excavations at Fort Jesus, Gede, Manda, Ungwana and other sites. Other objects on display were donated by individuals notably Mrs. J.C. White, Mr. C.E. Whitton and Mrs. W.S. Marchant. The Fort has lived through the years of hostilities and a hush climate and is structurally well - maintained.
Source: National Museums of Kenya

Photos by Lauren

INTERESTING FORT JESUS HISTORY FROM WIKIPEDIA

Fort Jesus is a Portuguese fort built in 1593 by order of King Philip II of Spain ( King Philip I of Portugal ), then ruler of the joint Portuguese and Spanish Kingdoms, located on Mombasa Island to guard the Old Port of Mombasa, Kenya. It was built in the shape of a man (viewed from the air), and was given the name of Jesus, after Shaikh Isa Bin Tarif Al Bin Ali Al Utbi conquered the fort in 1837 after being asked for assistance by Sayyid Said Bin Sultan , Sultan of Oman . The name Jesus in Arabic means Isa, therefore it means the Fort of Isa ( Isa Bin Tarif ). Isa Bin Tarif , Chief of the Al Bin Ali Al Utbi Tribe , is a descendant of the original uttoobee conquerors of Bahrain . The Al Bin Ali were a politically important group that moved backwards and forwards between Qatar and Bahrain, they were the original dominant group of Zubara area , they were also known for their courage, persistence, and abundant wealth.




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Magical Kenya


VIDEO The Fort Jesus Experience in Mombasa Kenya

GO TO AFRICA & DISCOVER A MAGNIFICENT PEOPLE

"People go to Africa and confirm what they already have in their heads and so they fail to see what is there in front of them.

This is what people have come to expect. It's not viewed as a serious continent.

It's a place of strange, bizarre and illogical things, where people don't do what common sense demands."

Chinua Achebe From Nigeria

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."
- Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain

ZANZIBAR THE SPICE ISLAND

Zanzibar is the collective name of two islands Unguja and Pemba. The word "Zanzibar" derives from Arabic language Zinj-bar ("land of the blacks"). Zanzibar is an island paradise with fascinating historical stone town and magnificent beaches. Although Zanzibar enjoys a high degree of autonomy it is not an independent state and remains part of Tanzania.The population of Zanzibar is estimated at about One million people. Zanzibar key economic sectors are spices, raffia and tourism. Zanzibar is reported to have been the world's largest producer of cloves, and its history as a result was heavily influenced by this activity.

Ferries operate regularly between Zanzibar and many East African ports
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Location:Zanzibar is a small archipelago off the coastline of Tanzania is East Africa consisting of Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar Island), Pemba and several small surrounding islands.

Pemba:Pemba is the second largest island of the Archipelago, named Al-khudra "The Green Island” by the Arabic mariners. It is famous for its clove production and its channels offer some of best diving experiences in East Africa.

Map of Ugunja


Map of Pemba

Tourist Attractions
Some of the famous tours and excursions in Zanzibar include:

• The stone town tour
• The spice plantations
• Jozani Forest reserve
• Dhow Cruise and small island adventure
• Scuba diving
• A tour of the north and east coasts
• Kizimkazi tour

Stone Town

Beit el-Ajib(House of Wonders)

For centuries Zanzibar has lured travellers, traders, slave traders, and colonialists. Stone Town is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar and little has changed in the town for over the past 200 years. Zanzibar is filled with winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. Stone Town was recently declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Stone Town Alley

The official languages in Zanzibar are Swahili and English. 98% population are muslim whereas the remaining 2% comrpise of other religions include Christian, Hindu and traditional beliefs.

Zanzibar provides a shoppers wonderland from brass covered chests, colour bearing fabrics commonly referred to as 'Khanga' which adorns the life of everyone in Zanzibar. Natural well-being products abound; Clove oil, ylang-ylang soap, cinnamon cream and henna to colour and embellish.

Zanzibar market

There is a wide choice of accommodation in Zanzibar, ranging from town hotels to beach resorts and from local-style, budget accommodation to five star luxury. Prices for accommodation vary form hotel to hotel.

Zanzibar is famed for its wood carved doors

There are about 560 carved doors in Zanzibar. The oldest carved door discovered in Zanzibar is dated 1694 AD. When a house was built in Zanzibar, the door was traditionally the first part to be erected. The greater the wealth and social position of the owner of the house, the larger and more elaborately carved his front door. Many doors are studded with brass spikes.
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Zanzibar is reputed to have some of the best diving in the world, and the coral reef structures that surround Unguja and Pemba ensure that the marine life is abundant. Good visibility (20 - 60 metres) and a year-round average water temperature of 27°c ensure that you enjoy your Zanzibar diving experience.

Dhow Boat makers at work

Zanzibar's brilliant Sun-bleached sands, jade waters and palm trees provide the perfect place to relax, soak up the sun.

Issa Michuzi Images

Windsurfing, kayaking and snorkelling sites can be found all over Zanzibar, in addition there are plenty of opportunities for those interested in big game fishing using international standard equipment. Diving is very popular and the Pemba provides some of the best diving grounds in the whole of East Africa.

Zanzibar is endowed with a rich history of music, religious practice and culture that has evolved over the centuries thereby providing a unique and varied selection of musical and cultural diversity.

Sauti za Busara Music festival in Zanzibar

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Fun Facts on Zanzibar

The Shortest War in History was fought in Zanzibar in 1896. On 25 August, following the demise of Sultan Hamid bin Thuwaini within two hours a despot broke into the Palace and declared himself ruler. In a show of Victorian Gunboat Diplomacy, the Royal Navy was asked to evict him. At precisely 9 o' clock on the 27th, three warships opened fire and in 45 minutes reduced the Palace to rubble, and deposed the rogue leader. The bombardment has since been called the "Shortest War in History".

WELCOME! KARIBUNI! ZANZIBAR

Zanzibar Tourism Official Web site