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Lamu town is the largest town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya, (coordinates ). Lamu town is also the headquarters of Lamu District.
The town was founded in the 14th century and it contains many fine examples of Swahili architecture. The old city is inscribed on the World Heritage List as "the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa".
Once a center for the slave trade, the population of Lamu is ethnically diverse. Lamu was on the main Arabian trading routes, and as a result, the population is largely Muslim. Due to the narrowness of the streets, automobiles are not allowed - the city is easily explored by foot, bicycle, or, as many locals favour, donkey.
There are several museums, including the Lamu Museum, home to the island's ceremonial horn; other museums are dedicated to Swahili culture and to the local postal service. Notable buildings in Lamu town include:
Lamu Fort
Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr, 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.
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 repected 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 famous 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.
See also (overview)
Lamu Archipelago consists of the following islands:
- Lamu Island, with the following towns/villages/archaeological/historical sites:
- Lamu Town, (main administrative centre for Lamu Archipelago), on the World Heritage List
- Shela (village)
- Matondoni (village)
- Kipangani (village)
- Manda Island, with the following towns/villages/archaeological/historical sites:
- Manda Town (archaeological site)
- Takwa (archaeological site)
- + an Airstrip (the only one in the Archipelago)
- Pate Island, with the following towns/villages/archaeological/historical sites:
- Siyu
- Faza (main administrative centre for Pate island)
- Kizingitini
- Pate Town, (see also Rulers of Pate)
- Shanga (archaeological site)
- Kiwayu Island,
- Manda Toto Island
External links
References
- Allen, James de Vere: Lamu, with an appendix on Archaeological finds from the region of Lamu by H. Neville Chittick. Nairobi: Kenya National Museums.
- Ghaidan, Usam: Lamu: A study of the Swahili town. Nairobi: East African Literature Bureau, 1975.
- Romero, Patricia W.: Lamu: history, society, and family in an East African port city. Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener, c1997. ISBN 1-55876-106-3, ISBN 1-55876-107-1
- Beckwith, Carol and Fisher, Angela, Text: Hancock, Graham: "African Ark, People and Ancient Cultures of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa," New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 1990. ISBN 0-8109-1902-8
- Couffer, Jack: "The Cats of Lamu." New York: The Lyons Press, c1998. ISBN 1-85410-568X
Archaeological sites in Kenya | Cities in Kenya | World Heritage Sites in Kenya
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"Lamu"