Historic Sites in Lamu

Shanga Ruins: Ancient 8th Century City

Noteworthy among the relics of virtu at Pate are the 8th Century Shanga Ruins named after the Washanga, a clan who still live in the nearby Swahili town of Siyu. Located at the southeast area of Pate Island, south of Siyu, Shanga contains coral walls, two palaces, three mosques and a cemetery outside the wall with hundreds of tombs. In all, the Shanga Ruins site is thought to contain the ruins or foundations of about 130 houses and 300 tombs, well hidden by the overgrown shrubbery. It was excavated over eight years from 1980. The earliest settlement was dated to the 8th century, and the conclusion was drawn from the evidence.

Locally minted coins and burial sites excavated at the site indicate that a number of its local inhabitants were Muslim, probably from the late 8th Century onwards, and at least from the early 9th Century. The digs also revealed a key break in the progress of Shanga in the mid-11th Century with the damage and rebuilding of the Friday Mosque. Due to the abstraction of its ground water, sea water seeped in and the site was no longer livable. A rarely roved site, Shanga Ruins is part of the oldest recorded history along the coast. Shanga was a thriving trading post 400 years before Mombasa was founded, and about 100 years prior to Lamu’s rise.

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

Lamu County is one of Kenya’s most unique and enchanting regions, known for its rich Swahili culture, pristine beaches, and UNESCO-listed heritage. Located on the northern coast of Kenya, it consists of a group of islands (Lamu, Manda, Pate, and Kiwayu) and a stretch of mainland coastline. Lamu Island in particular is more than just a destination—it’s a living piece of Swahili history and coastal paradise.

You Are Here: Shanga Ruins

Where to Next?

Explore Destinations Nearby Shanga Ruins

A Guide to Lamu County

A Summa Digest of Lamu

About Lamu Way Back When

70 Destinations in Lamu County , arranged as one would visit these - west, south, north then west - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:

Delta Dunes Lodge , Lake Moa , Old Town Witu , Witu Forest Reserve , Pangani Swamp, Lake Kiboko , Amu Ranch , Lake Amu, Kipini Conservancy , Lake Kenyatta , Amu Baharini Beach, Kizuke Beach , Lamu (Manda) Port , Red Pepper House , Lamu Island , Matondoni Dau Workshop , Matondoni Ruins , Tusitiri Dhow , Kipungani Ruins , Kizingoni Beach , Old Town Lamu, Lamu World Heritage Sector , Lamu Museum , The Swahili House Museum , German Post Office Museum , Lamu Fort , Lamu Market , Masjid Khoja Ithnasheri , Masjid Riyadha , House of Habib Swaleh , The Mosque College Lamu , Lamu Catholic Church , Tamarind Tree Cafe , Donkey Sanctuary , The Floating Bar , Boat Rides , MaraRaha , Kijani Hotel , Shela Village , Friday Masjid , Forodhani House , Peponi Hotel , Shela Beach , Bahari Restaurant , Fort at Shela , Ras Kitau , Diamond Village , The Maljis , Takwa Ruins , Manda Island , Manda Lodge , Manda Toto , Manda Coral Quarry , Nabahani Ruins , Pate Island , Shanga Ruins , Siyu Fort , Shindamweh, Atu Ruins , Chundwa Ruins , Faza Village , Lamu Monuments , Mangrove Forests , Dodori National Reserve , Kiunga Marine N. Reserve , Kiwayu Island , Ashuwei , Boni Forest National Reserve , Ishakani Ruins , Lamu Festivals

Know More About Lamu County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments

What’s The Air Like In Lamu?

Lamu County lies along the Equatorial Climate System, enjoying two rainy seasons and temperatures between 24°C and 30°C year round – Hottest in December & April

What’s The Lay Of The Land In C.05?

Lamu is composed of a coastal zone of 65 islands, vast creeks, bays, sand bars and mangrove. Among these, Lamu Island, hosting Lamu Town, is the bussiest. The mainland is flat to undulating.

Know More About Lamu County…