Lamu Archipelego

LAMU ARCHIPELEGO

Lamu, Kenya's oldest living town was one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa. Lamu still remains a top Tourist Destination in Kenya because of its rich Swahili culture and location in the depths of Indian Ocean. Lamu has a number of hotels and houses that are both small and romantic. Many people visit Lamu because of its peoples hospitality or just to relax on the beaches.
The port of Lamu has existed for at least a thousand years. The town was first attested in writing by an Arab traveller Abu-al-Mahasini who met a Judge from Lamu visiting Mecca in 1441. The town's history is marked by Portuguese invasion which began in 1506 and the Omani domination around 1813 (the year of the Battle of Shela). The Portuguese invasion was prompted by the nation's successful mission to control trade along the coast of the Indian Ocean.

ATRACTIONS

There are several museums, including the Lamu Museum, home to the island's ceremonial horn locally known as Siwa other museums are dedicated to Swahili culture and to the local postal service. Other attractions include
Lamu Fort: Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr, the Sultan of Pate, started to build the fort on the seafront, to protect members of his unpopular government. He died in 1809, before the first storey of the fort was completed. The fort was completed by the early 1820's.
Mnarani Mosque
Riyadha Mosque: Habib Salih, a Sharif with family connections to the Hadramaut, Yemen, settled on Lamu in the 1880s, and became a highly respected religious teacher. Habib Salih had great success gathering students around him and in 1900 the Riyadha Mosque was built. He introduced Habshi Maulidi, where his students sang verse passages accompanied by tambourines. After his death in 1935 his sons continued the Madrassa, which became one of the most prestigious centers for Islamic Studies in East Africa. The Mosque is the centre for the Maulidi Festival, which are held every year during the last week of the month of the Prophet´s birth. During this festival pilgrims from Sudan, Congo, Uganda, Zanzibar and Tanzania join the locals to sing the praise of Mohammad.
Donkey Sanctuary: Since the island has no motorised vehicles, transportation and other heavy work is done with the help of donkeys. There are some 2000-3000 working donkeys on the island. Dr. Elisabeth Svendsen of the The Donkey Sanctuary in England first visited Lamu in 1985. Worried by the conditions for the donkeys, the Sanctuary was opened in 1987 The Sanctuary provides treatment to all donkeys free of charge.
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