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Gede Ruins
The Gede Ruins are located in Gede off the
Malindi-Mombasa Road along the road to Watamu.
It dates back to the late 13th century and was
abandoned in the early 17th century.
 The exact
reason as to why the town was abandoned is not
actually known though it is assumed that the
town was plundered and destroyed by unknown
invaders in the 17th century. Another school of
thought alleges that the inhabitants of the town
abandoned it after receding ocean waters
depleted the available water from their wells.
In 1927, the Gede ruins were declared a historic
monument and much excavation and preservation
work was carried out such that large areas of
this ancient town are now revealed, including
the pillar tombs, the palace and a great mosque.
A Nature Trail of deciduous forests dominates
the inner and outer walls of the ruins bearing
testimony to the vegetation that used to exist
in this place before colonisation by humans. A
small museum has been set up to exhibit ancient
Arab, Chinese and Phoenician porcelain excavated
from the ruins. Guided walks can also be
arranged.
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Mambrui
Mambrui, an ancient Swahili town dates back
to the 15th Century and was known to the
Portugese as "Quililmanci". In the 19th Century
it was a populous Arab Town with many shops,
narrow streets, large plantations and simple
living styles. The inhabitants have remained the
most conservative and religious minded people of
the East African Coast.
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 Vasco Da Gama
Pillar
The pillar is situated on the seafront road near
the jetty. It is accessed from Scorpio Villas or
alternatively from the Silversands area. The
pillar is one of the oldest remaining monuments
in Africa and was built in 1498 by the great
Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama as a sign of
appreciation for the welcome he was given by the
Sultan of Malindi.
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Pillar Tombs
The pillar tombs are located next to Juma
Mosque, between the jetty and the town centre.
The tombs are believed to have been built in the
15th century as burial grounds for renowned
Portuguese. The pillar hs bowls of the late
Chinese Ming Dynasty still intact in it's upper
portion. Originally the pillar was 27 feet high
but fell down.
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The Old Town
The town
has had contacts with Indian from the time of
Jesus Christ, Chinese knew Malindi by 11
Century, the Arabs visited and wrote about it in
the 12th century, the Portuguese were here by
the 15th Century and the British arrived in the
19th Century. come and discover Malindi from the
15th to the 21st Century.
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 Hell's
Kitchen
It is located off Lamu road, after the Sabaki
River in Marafa Depression. Come view the
geomorphological features straight from
Lucifer's Kitchen!
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The Malindi
Museum
Located within the Malindi town, the museum
offers a fascinating tour of Malindi historic
Circuit and a range of exhibitions including;
The strange Catch: an exhibition
of coelacanth - the world's oldest living
creature, a 400 million year old creature that
was captured off the coast of Malindi in 2001
and that has remained unchanged since it's
fossilized ancestors were discovered 65 million
years ago. The creature has paired fleshy
limb-like fins that move like human arms and
legs.
History of Malindi: The Museum
offers an opportunity o learn the history of
Malindi town. Malindi is one of the ancient
towns along the East African Coast believed to
have been established around the seventh
century.
Malindi Historic circuit:
guided tour is offered starting from The
Museum, to The Old Town, The Old District
Officer's Building, Mambrui and back to The
Museum.
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Portuguese Chapel
The chapel is located along seafront road near
the Gossip Hotel and was built in the 16th
century to mark the burial ground of two
Portuguese sailors. This chapel is the first
christian church in East Africa.
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See also
http://www.malindikenya.com/placesofinterest1.htm |
