Whilst being a little island, Mombasa is full of an abundance of unique sights including a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Fort Jesus. Fort Jesus is located at Nkrumah Road, Mombasa 80100, and is approximately 490 kilometres (304.5 miles) from the capital, Nairobi. It is positioned to guard and protect the Old Port of Mombasa from invasion and it was built and occupied first by the Portuguese. However, as Mombasa changed hands many times throughout its history, Fort Jesus was also under Arab, African and British control. It has been said that no other fort in Africa experienced as much turbulence as Fort Jesus due to its strategic location.
An incredible fort that was won and lost nine times
It was designed by Italian Joao Batista Cairato and it was built between 1593 and 1596 at the order of King Philip I of Portugal. The purpose of the fort was to serve as the headquarters for the Portuguese and to show their permanent presence in this corner of the Indian Ocean. Fort Jesus was the first European-style fort designed and built outside of Europe that was to resist cannon fire. Once it had been built, it became an important asset in controlling Mombasa island and the surrounding trade routes.
Between 1641 and 1895, the fort was won and lost nine times by nations contesting control of Kenya. The fort finally fell under British rule and was then converted into a prison. The huts within the fort were removed and instead, cells for prisoners were built. However, in 1958, Fort Jesus was protected in the custody of the Trustees of the Kenyan National Park service and subsequently became a museum in 1962. It was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.
Portuguese, British and Arabic influence throughout
If looked at from an aerial view, Fort Jesus is built in the shape of a man lying on his back, with his head towards the sea and is considered a masterpiece of late Renaissance military fortification. The fort covers an area of 2.36 hectares (5.83 acres) and includes the fort’s moat and immediate surroundings. The height of the walls was initially 15 metres (~49 ft) when built by the Portuguese; the Oman Arabs, however, added an extra 3 metres (9.84 ft) upon capturing the fort, so the walls stand at 18 metres (59 ft) today.
Due to the different powers that controlled the fort, it has been influenced by not only Portuguese but also Arabic and British powers. The Portuguese and British influence can be seen on the various canons found at the site. The Portuguese cannons had a range of 200 metres (~656 ft) whilst the British cannons had a range of 300 meters (984.25 ft). The Arabic influence can be shown by the Koran inscriptions into the wooden door posts and ceiling beams. The final and most important ownership of the fort is now shown through the Kenyan flag, which is placed on the massive seawall and sways in the breeze.
A date with the past with a guide or not?
Inside Fort Jesus, you will be able to see the remains of a captain’s house, passages of arches, steps, an ammunition store, a gun platform, chambers, a church, a well and a museum gallery. There is also a replica of a human skeleton that was found on the site when excavation work was carried out on Fort Jesus in 1990; the original skeleton is re-buried under the replica. Visiting the fort can be like a bit of a maze in respect to getting around, and there is quite a bit of walking involved. It is not suitable for those with physical disabilities that are unable to walk. There is also a lack of signage around the place and information, so it may be worthwhile to read about the fort in advance and/or book a guided tour.
If you would like to see Fort Jesus, you have the option of booking a guided tour in advance (such as with a reputable tour company), negotiating with an unofficial guide outside of Fort Jesus or with an official guide within Fort Jesus. The quality of the guides vary (including whether they are official or unofficial) as do the costs. Official guides tend to charge 500 KSH (5 USD), whilst unofficial guides charge whatever they want (although the quality and knowledge can exceed expectations). You are likely to be approached by an unofficial guide outside of Fort Jesus and if you have decided either not to have a guide or to opt for a guide inside Fort Jesus, then you need to be polite but firm in saying “no” to the enquiry. This is because you will otherwise find that the unofficial guide will launch into providing you with information, with the expectation of being remunerated for that information.
Fresh air with a landscape that is truly outstanding
Fort Jesus is open from 8.00 am – 6.00 pm and the charges vary contingent on whether you are a local or tourist and is currently 1200 KSH (12 USD) for adults and 600 KSH (6 USD) for children for foreigners. I would recommend that you visit earlier in the day when it’s a bit cooler as sightseeing the fort is definitely an outdoor experience with very limited shade. The views and the fresh air from Fort Jesus are worth it; the landscape is truly outstanding and you are likely to see a group of African and Arab children playing football on the sandy outskirts of the fort, so if you want to see local people in their day-to-day lives and doing leisure activities, then the fort is a wonderful place to observe Kenyan life, too.
History
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