Mombasa Old Town

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Old Town
Mombasa old town view.JPG
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Old Town
Old Town
Coordinates: 4°3′32″S39°40′35″E / 4.05889°S 39.67639°E / -4.05889; 39.67639 Coordinates: 4°3′32″S39°40′35″E / 4.05889°S 39.67639°E / -4.05889; 39.67639
CountryFlag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
County Mombasa County
Constituency Mvita Constituency
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)
Old Town in 1572 City mombassa 1572.jpg
Old Town in 1572

Old Town is an area of Mombasa, Kenya. Situated on the south-east side of Mombasa Island, the Old Town covers an area of 72 hectares (180 acres), and is inhabited by a mix of Swahili, Arab, Asian, Portuguese and British settlers. [1]

Contents

In 1997, the Old Town and Fort Jesus were submitted by the National Museums of Kenya for selection in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. [1] [2]

Geography

The area is located to the east of Mombasa Island, adjacent to Tudor Creek.

Architecture

Buildings in the Old Town are mostly Swahili, however, the many other ones are influenced by Mombasa's trade culture and foreign occupation, with many examples of colonial Portuguese styles from the 16th century and modern Islamic architecture. [3] [4]

Attractions

Fort Jesus

The Portuguese Fort Jesus is located in the Old Town, and is Mombasa's most popular tourist attraction. [5]

See also

Footnotes

Sources


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