Historic Sites Along the Coast

Kongo Mosque: A 14th Century Arab Relic

The 14th century Arab-style Kongo Mosque, originally known as the Diani Persian Masjid, and also cited as Tiwi Mosque, is thought to be one of the oldest along South Coast. It reflects the long-standing influence of Arab traders integrated with Swahili, Islamic, and coastal architectural styles. Most parts of its unusual copula or barrel vault have remained almost intact for many centuries and, amazingly, it is still used as a community mosque. Capturing almost every architectural facet of its antiquated era, the relic Kongo Mosque along the sightly Tiwi Beach and scenic creek, girded by enormous baobab trees, depicts the style of early Arab Mosques.

The standing walls of the mosque are still structurally stable as is the coral rag on most exterior parts of the perimeter walls although this has lost some bondage to the substrate and fallen off in some sections. The flanking rooms are roofed with domes, and the three rear rooms are covered by four longitudinal barrel vaults. The doorways are rather simple archways, as in the mihrab, which opens without adornment from the wall plane into an undecorated apse. This mihrab design resembles that at the mosque by the sea at Munge and, in northern Lamu, at the mosque of the pillar at Shanga. It is a plain arch cut coral with an apse, belonging to the early classic type that dates between the late 14th and early 16th centuries.

“West of the mosque are walled courtyards, and to the north are five or more tombs, labelled A-E on the accompanying illustration. Tombs B, C, and D are interesting because they have basal curbs, but more particularly because they are rather large and are approximately square, or measure slightly longer on the east and west sides than on the north and south sides. Only tomb B was panelled, on the east side only, above which was a frieze of niches. Tomb C might have been a step end tomb”. It is located near Amani Tiwi and offers a chance to explore the last surviving relic of the ancient Swahili civilization that once swayed the coast and it is one of only a handful of antiquated coral mosques still in use in Kenya.

There are dozens of well-studied and accessible historic sites along the Kenya’s Coast. Some of the historic sites located here are composed of the old settlement towns and outlying groups of tombs. North to South, the coast is awash with a collection of ruins, found mainly along the beach, many of them on private lands.

Index of Historic Sites Along the Coast of Kenya

Kwale County - Vumba Kuu , Vanga , Kagugu, Wasini Island Ruins , The Chambocha Cemetery , Pongwe , Hurumuzi (House of Hormuz) , Shirazi , Munje Ruins , Gazi Ruins , Galu Ruins , Ukunda Diani Mosque , Kongo Mosque , Twiga Mosque , Mombasa County - Fort Jesus, Santo Antonio de Tanna, St. Joseph’s Fort, The Mbaraki Pillar, Kilifi County - Mtwapa Ruins , Jumba la Mtwana (The Slavemaster's House) , Vipingo Masjid , Kinuni Ruins , Kitoka Ruins , Mnarani Ruins , Uyombo Ruins , Kirepwe Island Ruins , Kiburugeni , Mgangani , Gede Ruins , Portuguese Chapel, Vasco da Gama Cross, Kibirikani Ruins , Mambrui , Tana River County - Ungwana Bay Ruins , Shaka Ruins , Mwana Ruins , Lamu County - Kibirikani Ruins, Matondoni Ruins , Kipungani Ruins , Takwa Ruins , Nabahani Ruins , Siyu Fort , Shanga Ruins , Atu Ruins , Chundwa Ruins , Ashuwei Ruins , Ishakani I

Located along the Kenyan coast, and a hub renowned for its pristine beaches, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking landscapes, Kwale County uniquely combines two of Kenya’s unsurpassed offerings – beach and safari. Kwale County is also a melting pot of coastal traditions, modern development, farming and trade to boot.

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A Guide to Kwale County

A Summa Digest of Kwale

About Kwale Way Back When

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

Shelly Beach , Time Out Art Camp , Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary , Kutazama Lodge , Mandhari Lodge , Kimerimeta Safari Lodge , Baraza Park , Kwale Town , Shimba Hills National Reserve , Shimba Hills Lodge , Elephant Lookout , Sheldrick Falls , Shimba Hills Organic Farm , Nyalani Dam , WWF Nursery , Tiwi Beach , Diani-Chale Marine National Reserve , Kongo Mosque , Twiga Mosque , Diani Mosque , Diani Beach Art Gallery , Diani Bikes , Center Point Mall , Diani Beach , Almasi Art Agency , Diamond Leisure Beach & Golf Resort , Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant , Kenya Kite Masters , Kite Festival , Funguo Wreck , Swahili Beach Resort , Raydon Water Sports , Colobus Conservation Trust , Sails Beach Bar & Restaurant , H2O Extreme , Nomad Beach Bar & Restaurant , Baobab Beach Resort , Lantana Galu Beach , Galu Ruins , Bora Bora Wildlife Park , Skydive Diani , Kalista Bar & Restaurant , Kaya Kinondo (Forest) , Kinondo Kwetu (Resort) , Chale Island , Tulia Eco Garden , Gazi Beach , Gazi Mangrove Boardwalk , Gazi Ruins , Msambweni Beach , Munje Beach , Munje Beach Villas , Munje Ruins , Munje Octopus Closure , Funzi Island , Shirazi Ruins , Fikirini Caves , Hormuz , Pongwe , Shimoni Caves , Betty's Camp , Shimoni Ruins , KWS Shimoni Cottages , Wasini Island , Wasini Ruins , Wasini Boardwalk , Charlie Claw’s , Chambocha Cemetery , Wasini Dolphin Tours , Pilli Pipa Dhow , Blue Monkey Cottages , GVI Mkwiro, Mwaozi Tumbe's Gravestone , Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park , Sii Island , Mrima Hill , Maji Moto Springs , Vumba Kuu , Vanga , Vanga Ruins , Nyika Plateau

Know More About Kwale County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments

What’s The Air Like In Kwale?

Kwale has monsoon type of climate marked by hot and dry weather from January to May and cooler temperatures from June to August. Average annual temperatures ranges between 24 o C and 30 o C.

What’s The Lay of The Land In C.02?

Kwale is widely known for its 35 km long coast, where Diani Beach sits. Inland, the coastal uplands, commonly referred to as Shimba Hills, is a sharp elevation in altitude. The land then steeply falls again into the Nyika Plateau and Tsavo.

Know More About Kwale County…