- Address: Nkrumah Rd, Mombasa 80100, Kenya
- Phone: +254 41 2220058
- Construction: 1593 - 1596 years.
- Architect: Giovanni-Battista Kairati
- Opening hours: 8.30 - 18.00
- Cost of visit: 800 KES
On the coast of Mombasa found the greatest fortification structure of the Middle Ages - Fort Jesus. Its walls keep a memory of the past of Kenya , with which you can get acquainted at any time of your vacation. Fort Jesus is listed in the UNESCO list, but despite its years, it is still in good condition. A tour of the site will give you a lot of interesting historical facts and will give you a lot of fun.
History and architecture of the fortress
Having plunged into the history of the fortress of Jesus, we learn that initially he played an important defensive role in the life of the country. Not once he was conquered by the Turks, but still returned to the Portuguese. At the end of the 18th century, the fortification was won by the British and used as a prison. For all its time, Fort Jesus was restored five times: its walls grew higher, and the corner towers changed the shape of the roof. At the same time, the main idea of the design has survived to this day: if you look at the fortification from a helicopter, it takes on a human face.
Inside the building, too, there have been changes. Initially, a small church was built on the territory of the fort, but today we can only look at its chapel. Many basements and walls inside the building were destroyed, but the layout of each cell was preserved.
Excursion in our time
As already mentioned, a tour of the fort of Jesus in our day will not only be useful to you, but also quite fascinating. In the most preserved (new front) part of the fort you can visit the museum, which contains unique finds of the fort's excavations (weapons, ceramics, clothes, etc.). In the building you can hire yourself a guide who will tell you in detail about the history of the fortress. By the way, the guides speak English, so there will be no difficulties in communication. In addition, at the ticket office of the fort, you can buy for a small fee literature on the history of the structure of this object.
Visit the fort Jesus you can from 8.30 to 18.00 any day of the week. The cost of the excursion (without the services of a guide) is equivalent to 800 shillings. In addition, you will need to donate a small donation to maintain such a great sight.
How to get there?
Fort Jesus conveniently located in one of the central coastal areas of the city. It is easy to get there either by car or by public transport . To get there by car, you need to drive to Nkrumah Road and turn off at the intersection with the park. By public transport, you can take the bus A17, A21 to the stop with the same name.
| | |
| | |
