KenyaPlus — homeCulture and history
Walk the ramparts of a fort that changed hands again and again, then lose yourself in the old town right next door.
KenyaPlus's own description. The facts below come from the sources shown.
Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Fort Jesus was built by the Portuguese in 1593–1596, to designs by Giovanni Battista Cairati, to protect the port of Mombasa.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
The fort stands on the coast of Mombasa Island, next to Mombasa Old Town, and over its history it came under Arab, Swahili and English control.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
Fort Jesus was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011. National Museums of Kenya is the key body for its conservation.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
Photo: Ami Gorasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Journeys
The train from Nairobi to Mombasa, past Tsavo.
Where: Nairobi · Tsavo East · Mombasa
Photo: Sila101 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Culture and history
East Africa's best-preserved Swahili town, with no rush at all.
Where: Lamu
Photo: LutzBruno · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Culture and history
A lost Swahili city of coral stone, swallowed by forest.
Where: Watamu · Malindi
Photo: Ruslik0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Culture and history
A Portuguese explorer's landmark on the shore at Malindi.
Where: Malindi
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