Everything about Lamu Island totally explained
Lamu Island is a part of the
Lamu Archipelago of
Kenya.
The island is linked by
ferry to
Mokowe on the mainland and to
Manda Island. There are no motorized vehicles on the island, instead
donkeys are for transport.
A
port was founded on the island of Lamu by
Arab traders at least as early as the
fourteenth century, when the
Pwani Mosque was built. The island prospered on the
slave trade.
After defeating
Pate Island in the
nineteenth century, the island became a local power, but it declined after the British forced the closure of the
slave markets in
1873. In
1890 the island became part of
Zanzibar and remained obscure until
Kenyan independence.
Tourism developed from the
1970s, mainly around the
eighteenth century Swahili architecture and
traditional culture.
There is one town and three villages on Lamu Island:
Lamu town
Lamu Town is a
World Heritage Site.
Shela
Shela is a village about 2 miles from Lamu Town. The origin of the village is unknown, but according to tradition it was settled by people from nearby
Manda Island. In 1813 the famous "Battle of Shela" took place. This was an attempt by
Pate Island, allied with the
Mazrui clan from
Oman, to subjugate Lamu. The attempt failed totally, and the defeat of Pate at Shela signalled the rise of Lamu as the leading power in the archipelago. Shelas golden age was from 1829 to 1857, when 5 of its 6 mosques were constructed. It is especially known for the
Shiathna-Asheri Mosque.
Shela is now a centre for tourism on the island, with several guest houses feature by the coast. Shela is also home to the most spectacular beaches on Lamu island, which were unfortunately damaged during the
tsunami caused by the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The appearance of the area is much more in keeping with the imagined East African coastline, with its almost pure white sand, traditional dhows, and clean appearance. It makes a sharp contrast to Lamu town (directly opposite the airstrip on Manda) which on first sight may shatter any romantic ideas of a coastal African paradise.
Matondoni
is known for the building and repairing of
dhows.
Kipungani
is a small village on the SW coast of the island
Further Information
Get more info on 'Lamu Island'.
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