The Gedi Ruins are one of Kenya and East Africa's great mysteries. The puzzle surrounding this abandoned town adds to its haunting beauty that captivates and frightens locals and tourists alike to this day.

It is thought that the town was founded in the early 13th Century due to finds like a Ming China vase and Venetian glass. Gedi was then mysteriously abandoned in the late 17th Century.

One reason that this may have occurred is due to tribes from the north migrating down into the forest where Gedi lies and forcing the inhabitants out. However the main puzzle is that there are no records of the town in Portuguese, Arabic or Swahili scripts.

As it lies 2 miles outside Watama on the Malindi to Mombasa road it was close to other settlements, yet no references have been found to date. Pottery was found from all over the world suggesting a centre of trade and therefore the obscurity of Gedi in records is even more intriguing.

Fort Jesus, built in 1593 by the Portugese, is Mombasa's greatest tourist attraction. Designed by the Italian architect, Cairati, the structure represents an Italian fortress from the 16th Century. Built in the shape of a man, the fort was given the name of Jesus as a clear religious reference. The fort changed hands nine times between 1631 and 1875 before finally resting in the hands of the British.

The bastions were needed to shield the nearby Mombasa beach and carry the cannons that covered the approach from the sea. In the 17th C, the Sultan of Oman controlled Fort Jesus and adjustments were made such as raising the walls. The 18th C saw turrets added.

There is a line of shops by the entrance where you can purchase leather sandals, hand woven cloth and freshly fried potato and cassava crisps for reasonable money.

Add Fort Jesus and Gedi Ruins to your Zoar Coastal Tour…