The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. [1] Kenya accepted the convention, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2018, there are seven World Heritage Sites in Kenya. [2]
UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural. [3]
| Site | Image | Location (county) | Year listed | UNESCO data | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Jesus, Mombasa |  | Mombasa | 2011 | 1295rev; ii, iv (cultural) | The late 16th century Portuguese fort was built to control the European trade routes in the Indian Ocean. It changed hands several times, coming under control of Arabs, Swahili people, and the British Empire. The fort with five bastions and extensive walls follows the Renaissance ideas of architectural proportions and geometric harmony. The layout has remained mostly unchanged to present day. [4] |
| Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley |  | Rift Valley Province, Kenya 0°26′33″N36°14′24″E / 0.442500°N 36.240000°E | Natural: (viii), (x) | 2011 | Located in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, the site features three lakes: Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Elementaita. A highly diverse population of birds, including thirteen threatened species, frequent the area. [5] [6] |
| Lake Turkana National Parks † |  | Lake Turkana, Kenya 3°03′05″N36°30′13″E / 3.051306°N 36.503667°E | Natural: (viii), (x) | 1997 | Turkana, as Africa's largest saline lake, is an important area for the study of fauna and flora. It is a breeding ground for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus and several venomous snakes. [7] The site was placed the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2018, primarily due to the potential impact of Ethiopia's Gilgel Gibe III Dam. [8] |
| Lamu Old Town |  | Lamu, Kenya 2°16′05″S40°54′07″E / 2.268°S 40.902°E | Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi) | 2001 | The town is the oldest Swahili settlement, and is built in coral stone and mangrove timber. It features inner courtyards, verandas, and elaborate wooden doors. [9] |
| Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest |  | Central Province and Eastern Province, Kenya 0°09′18″N37°18′56″E / 0.155000°N 37.315556°E | Natural: (vii), (ix) | 1997 | The park surrounds the 5,199 m (17,057 ft) Mount Kenya and features twelve glaciers. [10] |
| Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests |  | Coast Province, Kenya 3°55′55″S39°35′46″E / 3.931944°S 39.596111°E | Cultural: (iii), (v), (vi) | 2008 | The site comprises eleven forests spread 200 km (120 mi) along the coast of Kenya. They hold the remains of villages built during the 16th century by the Mijikenda, and are now considered sacred sites. [11] |
| Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site |  | Migori County, Kenya 0°58′23″S34°15′30″E / 0.9731°S 34.2583°E | Cultural: (iii), (iv), (v) | 2018 | Dating back to the 16th century CE, the dry-stone walled settlement is the largest and best preserved traditional enclosures of its kind. [12] |
Thimlich Ohinga is a complex of stone-built ruins in Migori county, Nyanza Kenya, in East Africa. It is the largest one of 138 sites containing 521 stone structures that were built around the Lake Victoria region in Kenya. These sites are highly clustered. The main enclosure of Thimlich Ohinga has walls that are 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in thickness, and 1–4.2 m (3.3–13.8 ft) in height. The structures were built from undressed blocks, rocks, and stones set in place without mortar. The densely packed stones interlock. The site is believed to date to the 15th century or earlier.
