Historic Ruins along Kenya’s Coast
Gede Ruins: Spectral, Thick With Mystery
The world-famous Gede Ruins are found at the corner of B8 Mombasa-Malindi Road and Gede-Watamu Road, 16 km before arriving at Malindi. Typical of most ancient towns along the East African [Swahili] Coast, the 12th-16th Century Gede Ruins are a relic of the ancient Arab towns. Its origins go as far back as the 12th Century, but was rebuilt with new walls in the 15th and 16th Centuries and, like the lesser Mgangani ruins south of it, is thought to have been built here owing to the existence of an ancient coral reef which provided abundant building material.
Visiting the spectral, enchanting Gede Ruins offers a unique opportunity to step back in time and explore the rich history of the fascinating Swahili coast, reflecting the region’s cultural diversity and historical importance in East Africa. The entire site is estimated to cover 45 acres, most of which lies in the primeval forest at the edge of Arabuko-Sokoke. Gede is, without doubt, one of three most important historic sites along Kenya’s coast thanks to the quality and quantity of its remains.
Characterized by intricately designed stone structures with coral rag walls and evidence of advanced urban planning, Gede ruins was the first intensively studied site along Kenya’s coast. Work began in 1948, led by James Kirkman, concentrated in the north-central part of the area. Dating, as of most East African coastal sites, depended on the presence or, as often, on the absence of certain types of Chinese porcelain which can be approximately dated. No ceramic or other materials were found which can be identified as later than the beginning of the 11th Century.
The salient ruins are comprised of a conglomeration of mosques, palaces and houses, with one of its most imposing structures being the Great Mosque. This, as it stands, is the youngest of three mosques. The first, about which little is known, was built in the mid- 15th Century; then, half a century later, a similar Mosque to the present one was built. The latter dates to the mid-16th century. It is a large mosque with four rows of six square pillars and further divided in two by a wall.
There are six lesser mosques at Gede Ruins: Mosque of the Long Conduit, the Mosque of the Three Aisles, the Small Mosque, the Mosque of the Sarcophagi, the Mosque between the Walls, and the Mosque on the South Wall. The mosques had a single central row of one, two or perhaps three pillars, except the Mosque of the Three Aisles, where two rows of pillars left an unobstructed view of the mihrab. All of the mosques had eastern ablution facilities, with exception of the Mosque of the Three Aisles, where these seem to have been on the western area.
Other units combined to make up the Gede Ruins are: forecourts and domestic courts; long rooms, usually spanning the width of the house; small rooms, based on the division of a long room; store rooms, usually at the rear of the house or at the end of a suite of small rooms; toilets of the typical coast type; lobbies and entryways, essentially small rooms for the passage from one area to another; and passageways, often of long corridors from a street to the entrance of the houses.
As a Swahili town that thrived during the medieval period, Gede indeed occupied a very large area and had two walls around it. The inner wall was where the rich lived. The outer wall enclosed the 45 acres which also included farmland with quite a number of mud and wattle houses for the middle class. Outside the walls is where the peasants lived. All seems to having been going well at Gede, up until the early 16th Century during a period of marked by incessant wars and reprisals.
Gede town was partly wiped off in 1528 by troopers from Mombasa opposing the Portuguese, whose centre of administration was at the nearby hub of Malindi. Then, in 1586-1589, as the Zimba overrun the Swahili coast, Gede was the ground of battle as the combined force of the Portuguese and Sultan of Malindi’s army with an allied local tribe came to blows with the invaders. Gede was devastated. There was brief rejuvenation, during which time the town was repaired, and a much shorter perimeter fence built, but it never fully regained its former status.
Finally, as Kirkman points out, all the smaller mainland towns were laid waste by the warlike nomadic Galla tribesmen from Somalia in the 17th century, after the protection of the Portuguese had been thrown out. Gede was finally abandoned as the Galla moved in with brute force. Riddled with vagueness and, according to the locals, a haunted site, there is something enthralling about this ancient city. Although a lot has been discovered at Gede the area is still thick with mystery.
A lot more is yet to be discovered at Gede ruins. Published lengthily, compared to other ruins, it was listed as a National Monument in 1927, noted as the first site to be excavated in East Africa and remaining as the most intact of the preserved Swahili historic towns. Gede ruins is a must-see attraction of Kilifi County. Entry charges in Kes: Citizen 100, Child 50; Resident Adult 400, Child 200; and Non-Resident Adult 500, Child 250. It’s open Monday through Friday from 7am-7pm.
There are dozens of well-studied and accessible historic sites along the Kenya’s Coast. Some of the historic sites located here are composed of the old settlement towns and outlying groups of tombs. North to South, the coast is awash with a collection of ruins, found mainly along the beach, many of them on private lands.
Index of Historic Sites Along the Coast of Kenya
Kwale County - Vumba Kuu, Vanga, Kagugu, Wasini Island Ruins, The Chambocha Cemetery, Pongwe, Hurumuzi (House of Hormuz), Shirazi, Munje Ruins, Gazi Ruins, Galu Ruins, Ukunda Diani Mosque, Kongo Mosque, Twiga Mosque, Mombasa County - Fort Jesus, Santo Antonio de Tanna, St. Joseph’s Fort, The Mbaraki Pillar, Kilifi County - Mtwapa Ruins, Jumba la Mtwana (The Slavemaster's House), Vipingo Masjid, Kinuni Ruins, Kitoka Ruins, Mnarani Ruins, Uyombo Ruins, Kirepwe Island Ruins, Kiburugeni, Mgangani, Gede Ruins, Portuguese Chapel, Vasco da Gama Cross, Kibirikani Ruins, Mambrui, Tana River County - Ungwana Bay Ruins, Shaka Ruins, Mwana Ruins, Lamu County - Kibirikani Ruins, Matondoni Ruins, Kipungani Ruins, Takwa Ruins, Nabahani Ruins, Siyu Fort, Shanga Ruins, Atu Ruins, Chundwa Ruins, Ashuwei Ruins, Ishakani I
Touring Kilifi County offers a delightful blend of coastal beauty, lovely beaches, cultural richness, natural wonders, and fascinating ancient ruins. Whether you’re seeking pristine beaches, historical sites, or vibrant cultural experiences – or a combination, Kilifi promises a memorable and enriching travel experience.
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A Guide to Kilifi County
A Summa Digest of Kilifi
About Kilifi Way Back When
95 Destinations in Kilifi County, arranged as one would visit these - south, north, east then north - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Shimo la Tewa Prison, Mtwapa Creek, Mtwapa Ruins, The Moorings, La Marina Restaurant, Jumba la Mtwana, Kikambala Beach, Vipingo Mosque Ruins, Kinuni Ruins, Kuruwitu Conservancy, Neem Tree House, Vipingo Ridge, Chasimba Cave, Kilifi Sisal Plantations, Vuma Cliffs, Old Town Takaungu, Takaungu Creek, Kitoka Ruins, Takaungu House, Beneath the Baobab Festival, Kilifi Creek, Kilifi Bridge, Kilifi Boatyard, Distant Relatives Lodge, Mnarani Ruins, Mnarani Snake Park, 3 Degrees South, Kamili House, Mazingira Park, Bofa Beach, Saltys Kitesurfing Bar & Restaurant, Bush Baby Kilifi, Casa Dalton, Panga ya Saidi Cave, River Rare Geo Park, Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Mwangea Hills Forest, Watamu Marine National Park, Uyombo Ruins, Rock & Sea Resort, Mida Creek, Sudi Island, Kirepwe Ruins, Watamu Beach, Ocean Sports Watamu, Medina Palms, Hemimways Watamu, A Rocha Eco Lodge & Conservation Centre, Watamu Treehouse, Garoda Beach, Tribe Watersports, Kite House, Local Ocean Conservation, Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Kiburugeni Ruins, Mgangani Ruins, Mida Creek Nature Camp, Gede Ruins, Kipepeo Butterfly Farm, Malindi Museum, Henry the Navigator Monument, Malindi Pier, Malindi Pillar Tomb, Malindi Waterfront Park, Portuguese Chapel, Vasco da Gama Pillar, Malindi Beach, Ndoro Sculpture Garden, White Elephant Sea & Art Lodge, Malindi Crocodile & Snake Farm, Malindi Marine National Park, Malaika Beach Sunbeds & Restaurant, Sawa Sawa Dhow Excursions, Lo Sfizio Coffee Shop, Lennox Art Gallery, Falconry of Kenya, Hanging Gardens, Malindi Golf & Country Club, River Sabaki Delta, Marafa Depression, Dakacha Woodland, Mekatilili wa Menza Site, Mambrui Dunes, Mambrui, Mambrui Tombs, Kibirakani Ruins, Che Shale Hotel Kitesurf Center, Ngomeni Shipwreck, Luigi Broglio Space Centre, The Nyika Plateau, Galana Conservancy, Ngala Mausoleum, Rabai Museum, Kaya Kambe Shrine, Thomas Wakefield Memorial Church
Know More About Kilifi County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Kilifi can be split into three zones – the narrow coastal plain, varying in width from 3 kms to 20 km; few coastal hills lying below 30 ms asl, and the Nyika Plateau rising from 100ms to 340 ms asl.
For the greater part of the year, the climate along the coastal plain is pleasurable, though humid. Temperature ranges between 21C and 30C along the coast, and between 30C and 34C further inland.
