Historic Sites in Mombasa

Fort St. Joseph: Three-Way Power Struggle

First Da Gama raised a padrāo, then the Turks built a fort, then the Portuguese used it as a chapel, then the Arabs turned the chapel into a fort, the ruins of which remain perched on the edge of a coastal coral bluff at Ras Serani near Mombasa Golf Club. The original Fort St. Joseph was built by Mir Ali Bey, a Turkish buccaneer who arrived in 1585 from Mocha in Yemen and took tribute from Mombasa, Lamu, Faza and Kismayu in the name of the Ottoman Sultan. He marshaled the support of the indomitable Zimbas – a tribe of fierce warriors who came from the south of Zambezi – to disorganize early attempts by the Portuguese to rule over Mombasa.

He ejected the Portuguese from most of their settlements, and when he returned to the Red Sea the following year is said to have taken fifty Portuguese prisoners and six hundred thousand pounds worth of plunder. Angst, the viceroy of India sent a fleet from Goa that wrecked Mombasa as a punishment for having allowed itself to be plundered by Ali Bey. From 1586 to 1589 the Zimbas overran the coast as far as Malindi. Ali Bey and the Turks returned in 1588 and founded themselves at Ras Serani, and also built the smaller ‘horse-shoe’ fort near the Kilindini Port.

In March 1589, Thomas de Souza Countinho arrived with twenty ships, so that there was a three-way rival power. At first the Zimba sided with the Portuguese to attack Ali Bey and his Turkish mates, easily crushing them, but after occupying Mombasa and attacking Malindi, the Portuguese proceeded to wage war on the Zimba aided by the Wasegeju tribe. The Zimbas were defeated, and their power entirely broken. The Portuguese occupied and enlarged Ali Bey’s Fort renaming it Fort St. Joseph. They also built a compact chapel – “Nossa Signora das Merces”.

When the Omani Arabs finally captured Mombasa they merely took over from where the Portuguese has left it off, using the small fort to secure the all-key Kilindini Harbour. Most people know of the pillar in Malindi put up by Vasco da Gama in 1499. What is less well-known is Mombasa also had its pillars. These columns or pillars with a cross on the top are described as padrāo [pl – padrāos]. There were many reasons for raising the padrāo, not least as proof of the rule of the Portuguese. The probable site of the padrāo in Mombasa was at Ras Serani.

“The reference to the pillar or padrāo at the entrance of the harbour is interesting and might be identified with a forerunner of the pillar claimed to have been erected in 1505 by Fransisco d’Almeida at Ras Serani. It may have as well been erected much earlier, before 1498, alongside another in the town although it is doubtful that the latter would have served for navigation”. It’s not clear when the pillar at Ras Serani was brought down – most likely because it was a symbol of Christianity – but when captain William F.W. Owen of H.M.S Leven arrived in Mombasa in 1822 and again in 1874 when Charles New, a missioner, visited, they both reported of the pillar site (a pillar surmounted by a cross, a solitary relic of the Christian faith which prevailed under the Portuguese reign) at Ras Serani.

Mombasa had more than one pillar site. It is also well conceivable that another pillar was standing atop the cliff even before Fort Jesus was constructed in 1593. Three centuries later with the Turks, Portuguese and Arab gone, the importance of defending Mombasa and entrance to Mombasa Harbour was once again on the forefront. Fort St. Joseph, as one would expect, would add another war-time chapter to its history; on a global scale. In 1886 Kenya (then British East Africa) became a protectorate under the influence of Britain with Mombasa as its capital.

During WW1, six naval guns from the British cruiser HMS Pegasus, sunk off Zanzibar in a German attack, were salvaged and restored, and one of these became the foremost gun position on Azania Drive (later renamed Mama Ngina Drive), at the site of today’s Florida Club. The defeat of Germany in WWI brought German East Africa under British control. The former colony was renamed Tanganyika, and many of the German farmers and owners of sisal and coffee plantations returned to work their land. With the rise of National Socialism in Germany during the early 1930s, the ideology rather naturally spread among the German folk of Tanganyika, causing some concern to the British administration.

In 1940, with the looming probability of war with Tanganyika, the Public Works Department was set to complete works, began in 1936, on the installation on the examination battery of 6-inch guns, with search lights and other equipment, to make Mombasa a defended port. The location chosen for the new battery was Ras Serani where the lighthouse and fort stand. Part of the outside wall of Fort St Joseph was demolished to allow free sight for gun emplacements built behind it.

Overlooking the harbour area, the construction of an under ground combined operations room and battle headquarters took place (at Kizingo Camp) as did the work on trenches, pillboxes, covered gun posts and other field defences were realised. Later, these trenches became the subject of much fascination: A few yards from the fort, they [Portuguese] burrowed an underground passage which, allegedly, ran to the central courtyard of Fort Jesus. The outlet, if one ever existed, has never been discovered. Despite its state of disrepair, St. Joseph is true relic.

Kenya is home to numerous historic sites that showcase the country’s rich cultural heritage, ancient civilizations, colonial history, and struggle for independence. These historic sites offer valuable insights into Kenya’s past and its diverse cultural heritage, making them essential destinations for visitors interested in her history.

Index of Historic Sites Around Kenya

Baringo County - Timboroa Railway Station , Bungoma County - Chetambe Fort , Kilifi County - Prince Henry the Navigator Monument , Vasco da Gama Pillar , Malindi Pillar Tomb , Portuguese Chapel, Malindi Butwani Pier , Kwale County - Shimoni Ruins , Lamu County - Shela Mosque, Lamu Fort , German Post Office, Siyu Fort , Machakos County - Macmillan Castle Sabuk , Fort Machakos , Makueni County - Gurdwara Makindu Sahib , Patterson Ruins Tsavo, Meru County - Kaaga War Memorial , Twin Baobab Trees , Giant Meru Oak, Mombasa County - Fort Jesus, Old Port , Sanaa Gallery , Leven House , Old Law Courts , Kengeleni Bell , Old Railway Station, Mbaraki Pillar , Fort St. Joseph , Kraph Monument , Fort Makupa , Arab Rifle's Monument , Mombasa's Tusks , Ras Serani Light, Mandera County - Fort El Wak , Nandi County - Kaptumo I Kipture Forts , Samiitui Aldai Historic Stone , Nyeri County - Old Ruling Court, Taita Taveta County - Kitchwa Tembo Hill , Salaita Hill , The Sniper Tree , Maktau Railway Station, Mwashoti Hill , Mwakitau Hill , Tana River County - Tana Delta Old Fort , Tharaka Nithi County - The Mutunguruni Tree , Wajir County - Wajir Fort , Ancient Orahey Wells , Orahey Bunkers , The Old Town Wajir

Historic Ruins along the Coast of Kenya - Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River & Lamu

Well-famous for its rich Swahili culture, stunning beaches, and vibrant nightlife – acclaimed as one of the top destinations in Kenya – Mombasa County is home to Mombasa City, Kenya’s second-largest city and a primary port town that has been a key trade center for centuries. Mombasa County is more than just beaches—it’s a cultural melting pot with history, adventure, and guaranteed coastal vibes.

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A Guide to Mombasa County

A Summa Digest of Mombasa

About Mombasa Way Back When

80 Destinations in Mombasa County , arranged as one would visit these - south, north then east - with the aid of in-depth narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:

Arab Rifle's Monument , Buli Monument , Fort Jesus Curio Shop , Camel Joint, Old Town Mombasa , Fort Jesus Museum I World Heritage Site , Mombasa Butterfly House , Santo Antonio de Tanna , Swahili Cultural Center , Sanaa Gallery , Old Port Mombasa , Leven House I Steps , Forodhani Restaurant , The Mandhry Mosque , Burhani Mosque , Tulia Backpackers , Bahdala Mosque , Mazrui Cemetery , Old Law Courts , Treasury Square , Africa Hotel , Kizingo BBQ, St. Joseph's Fort , Ras Serani Lighthouse , Kizingo War Camp , Mombasa Golf Club , Mama Ngina Waterfront Park , Shelly Beach , The Likoni Floating Bridge , Mbaraki Creek, Mombasa Yatch Club , Mbaraki Pillar , The Mombasa Mbaraki Cemetery , The Little Theatre Club , Kilindini Harbour , The Mombasa Memorial Church , The Holy Ghost Catholic Cathedral , Lord Shiva Temple , The Old Mombasa Railway Station , Railways Park , Mombasa African Memorial , Mombasa’s Tusks , Fort Makupa , Kibarani Recreation Park , Akamba Handicraft Shop , Manyimbo War Cemetery , Tudor Water Sports Marina , Nyali Bridge , ACK Emmanuel , The Kengeleni Monument , Bahari Beach Resort , Tamarind Dhow Cruise , Krapf Memorial Heritage Park , Kenyatta Public Beach , Bombolulu Workshop , Haller Park , Mombasa Butterfly Pavilion , Bamburi Rifle Range , Mombasa Go-Kart , Suli Suli Fishing , Nguuni Nature Sanctuary , Mamba Village , Nyali Golf & Country Club , Wild Waters , Nyali Shopping Mall , Mombasa Marine Park I Reserve , Ngomongo Village , Shimo la Tewa Site , The Moorings , La Marina Restaurant

Know More About Mombasa County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - with the aid of a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments

What’s The Lay Of The Land In C.01?

Mombasa County can be split into 3 zones: 1. Coastal plain, covering parts the Island; 2. The hilly areas rising gently from 45 ms to 132 ms asl in the west; and 3. The Indian Ocean and the shoreline.

What’s The Air Like In Mombasa?

May is generally the wettest month, then April and June. Average temperatures are always high, rarely falling below 24 o C across the year.

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