COMMUNICATOR'S CONCEPTS: A MUST VISIT FORT JESUS, KENYA

A MUST VISIT FORT JESUS

Fort Jesus is a Portuguese fort built in 1593 by order of King Philip I of Portugal ( King Philip II of Spain), then ruler of the joint Portuguese and Spanish Kingdoms.

Kenya (located at the east coast of the African continent) is a beautiful country with a diverse people and cultures. It is a delightful country and one of the most visited countries of Africa. Located on the Mombasa Island to guard the Old Port of Mombasa Kenya is the famous Fort Jesus.

On the 24^th of October 1958 the fort 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. In 2011, the fort was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, highlighted as one of the most outstanding and well preserved examples of 16^th century Portuguese military fortifications.

The fort was designed by a Milanese architect, Giovanni Battista Cairati, who was the Chief Architect for Portuguese possessions in the East. It was the first European-style fort constructed outside of Europe designed to resist cannon fires. The architecture of the fort represents a rough outline of a man lying on his back with the head towards the sea. The height of the walls is 18 meters (15 meters built by the Portuguese and 3 more by the Omani Arabs).

Torrorey who seems to be enjoying every bit of his job from the fort through to the Old Town believes, “The fort was built to secure the safety of the Portuguese living at the East Coast of Africa. It has had long history of hostilities of the interested parties that used to live in Mombasa.” “The fort was used as barracks for soldiers between 1837 and 1895.”

The fort quickly became a vital possession for anyone with the intention of controlling Mombasa Island and the surrounding areas of trade. When the British colonized Kenya, they used it as a prison, until 1958 when they converted it into a historical monument.

The fort combines Portuguese, Arab and British elements, representing the major powers that held it at different times in history. Portuguese and British had cannons of different lengths while the Oman Arabs marked their occupancy with numerous Koran inscriptions into the wooden door posts and ceiling beams. Today it is one of the finest examples of the 16^th century Portuguese military architecture, which has been influenced and changed by both the Omani Arabs and the British.

Inside the fort is a museum built with a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation. The exhibits consist of finds from archaeological excavations at Fort Jesus, Gede, Manda, Ungwana and other site. Other objects on display were donated by individuals notably Mrs. J. C. White, Mr. C. K. Whitton and Mrs. W. S. Marchant.

Historical structures still standing in the fort are Oman House (house of sultan who governed the East African Coast), open water cistern by the Portuguese for harvesting rain water, and a 76-feet deep well dug by the Arabs.

The fort has lived through the years of hostilities and a harsh climate and is structurally well maintained.

The Fort Jesus is now a popular destination for both foreign and local tourists. The fort is also important as a host for numerous research programs, a conservation lab, an education department, and an Old Town Conservation Office.

The fort is open daily at 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

For more information one can contact:

P. O. Box 82412-80100, Mombasa.

Telephone number: 041-2220058/2225934