A WORLD HERITAGE SITE: FORT JESUS

On the 24th October 1958, Fort Jesus 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. The Fort is now an important historical landmark in the East African region.

Fort Jesus is located in Mombasa Island which is in the Coast province of Kenya. It lies a distance of about 490-km from Nairobi city.   Fort Jesus is a remarkable piece of architecture designed by Italian architect and engineer, Joao Batista Cairato, was built  back in 1593 on a coral ridge at the entrance to the Mombasa harbor The main purpose of the Fort was to secure the safety of the Portuguese who were living on the East African coast at the time. With time, the Fort became the focal point of the island. It is a fact that few, if any Forts on the African continent have such a turbulent and interesting history similar to the one that Fort Jesus has. The Fort has changed nine times from its 'birth.


In 1631, the towns' people revolted and killed every Portuguese on the island. However, the Sultan of Mombasa at the time had no real support and the Portuguese quickly reoccupied the Fort and consolidated their control. This was just the first time this happened. A little later( 1696-1698),  Omani Arabs( or just the omanis), who had been steadily growing in strength, took control of the town and laid seige to Fort Jesus.

 The Santo Antanio de Tanna sank in 1697 in its attempts to finally map out an end to the siege that the Fort had come under.( the museum holds numerous relics recovered from the ship!!!) Eventually, the Fort would change hand after approximately close to three years, with most of the Portuguese left to defend it having died from starvation or disease.


The omani's held Fort Jesus for decades that followed, until the Portuguese briefly recaptured their jewel in 1728, which they only managed to hold on to for a year.

  Approximately a century later(1837), the Fort was now changed and exclusively used as a barracks for soldiers until 1895 when the British declared a protectorate and the once mighty Fort became a prison.( The huts were removed and cells were built.)