AbiriKenya

Historic Ruins along the Coast

Siyu Fort: A Fort of its Own Kind

Unlike other coastal forts built by foreigners, Siyu Fort was built in the mid-19th century by local Swahili leaders, specifically Bwana Mataka, to protect the town from Omani Arab. Like many of the towns in the Lamu archipelago Situ has an odd little history of its own. A curious governing mix existed in the town of Siyu until the middle of the last century. The inhabitants invoked the aid of the Somalis in the 17th century to assist them against the aggression of Nabahan princes of Pate. The Somalis agreed, and the Nabahans were repulsed. A government was then established, consisting of a Famao (a descendant of the Asiatic colonists) and a Somali sheikh, which lasted till 1842, when an energetic Famao named Mataka.

He [Mataka] concentrated all authority in his own hands. The Somalis applied to Seyyid Said; though he attempted to reduce Siyu, his efforts were not successful, and it was only after his death that the town submitted to the Sultans of Zanzibar in 1866. Siyu sits 5 km east of Pate, 9 km east of Faza and just north of Shanga. At the small settlement are the remains of the Siyu Fort, a mid-19th Century fort. Oral traditions suggest that it was built by Siyu’s great leader Mohammed Ishaq bin Mbarak (or Bwana Mataka) who also rebuilt much of the town including a grand stone mansion for himself of which the remains are still to be seen. Within the Siyu Fort is a Friday mosque with an elegant minbar or lectern dated to about 1521.

As this may suggest, Siyu’s prosperity continued much longer than Pate, and unlike many other ecclesiastical relic forts at Lamu, Siyu Fort is unique because it was built to protect the town from the advancing Omani Arabs domination. Siyu is the only town which built a fort of its own, unlike Mombasa and Lamu where the forts were put up by foreigners. One of its key features, on one of the towers, is a carronade still in its original position that remains on its wooden carriage. Siyu Fort was gazetted as a National Monument in 1958. It’s reached either by boat up Takwa creek and then by foot to Siyu or by rounding Manda by boat to Shanga.

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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

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outlook

Lamu County is one of Kenya’s most unique and enchanting regions, known for its rich Swahili culture, pristine beaches, and UNESCO-listed heritage. Located on the northern coast of Kenya, it consists of a group of islands (Lamu, Manda, Pate, and Kiwayu) and a stretch of mainland coastline. Lamu Island in particular is more than just a destination—it’s a living piece of Swahili history and coastal paradise.

You Are Here: Siyu Fort

Where to Next?

Explore Destinations Nearby Siyu Fort

A Guide to Lamu County



A Summa Digest of Lamu

About Lamu Way Back When

70 Destinations in Lamu County, arranged as one would visit these - west, south, north then west - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:

Delta Dunes Lodge, Lake Moa, Old Town Witu, Witu Forest Reserve, Pangani Swamp, Lake Kiboko, Amu Ranch, Lake Amu, Kipini Conservancy, Lake Kenyatta, Amu Baharini Beach, Kizuke Beach, Lamu (Manda) Port, Red Pepper House, Lamu Island, Matondoni Dau Workshop, Matondoni Ruins, Tusitiri Dhow, Kipungani Ruins, Kizingoni Beach, Old Town Lamu, Lamu World Heritage Sector, Lamu Museum, The Swahili House Museum, German Post Office Museum, Lamu Fort, Lamu Market, Masjid Khoja Ithnasheri, Masjid Riyadha, House of Habib Swaleh, The Mosque College Lamu, Lamu Catholic Church, Tamarind Tree Cafe, Donkey Sanctuary, The Floating Bar, Boat Rides, MaraRaha, Kijani Hotel, Shela Village, Friday Masjid, Forodhani House, Peponi Hotel, Shela Beach, Bahari Restaurant, Fort at Shela, Ras Kitau, Diamond Village, The Maljis, Takwa Ruins, Manda Island, Manda Lodge, Manda Toto, Manda Coral Quarry, Nabahani Ruins, Pate Island, Shanga Ruins, Siyu Fort, Shindamweh, Atu Ruins, Chundwa Ruins, Faza Village, Lamu Monuments, Mangrove Forests, Dodori National Reserve, Kiunga Marine N. Reserve, Kiwayu Island, Ashuwei, Boni Forest National Reserve, Ishakani Ruins, Lamu Festivals

Know More About Lamu County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments

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