Ruins of Gedi

Ruins of the Great Mosque
Stone slab with original Arabic inscriptions that was used to date the site

The Ruins of Gedi are the remains of a Swahili town located in Gedi, a village near the coastal town of Malindi in Kenya.[1]

From the 13th or 14th to 17th centuries, Gedi was a thriving community along the jungle coast of East Africa. Although no written record exists of this town, excavations between 1948 and 1958 revealed that the Muslim inhabitants traded with people from all over the world. Some of the findings included beads from Venice, coins and a Ming vase from China, an iron lamp from India, and scissors from Spain. The population was estimated to exceed at least 2500 people. These items can be found in the museum in the complex which was opened in 2000.

Gedi had a mosque, a palace, and large stone houses. These houses were complex for their time, with bathrooms with drains and overhead basins to flush toilets. The city's streets were laid out at right angles and had drainage gutters. There are also wells which supplied water to the community. The material used to construct the buildings was made from coral reef from the nearby ocean.

In the early 16th century, the village was abandoned. A possible explanation was that a punitive expedition came from Mombasa against Malindi and forced the inhabitants to leave. A temporary reoccupation likely occurred by the nomadic Oromo tribe from Somalia in the late 16th century, who later abandoned the town.

It is unclear whether the actual name of the town was Gedi, Gede, or Kilimani. The Oromo word "Gede" means "precious", but the town might have been named after the last Oromo leader to camp on the site.[2]

The area was gazetted as a National Monument in 1927.[3] In 1948, the remains of Gedi were declared a Kenyan national park.[2] The ruins continue to be a popular tourist destination. Recently a tree house has been constructed in the center of the complex, around a giant tree near the main palace ruins. The site is usually open till 6 pm. There is also a small shop to buy drinks and souvenirs.

The site is inhabited by guenon monkeys, which frequently interact with visitors.

Legends

Main article: Ajuran Sultanate

According to local tradition, the ruins are protected by the spirits of its priests. These "Old Ones" supposedly curse anyone who harms the site or removes anything.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Gede – Historical Background
  2. 1 2 James Kirkman, "Gedi", 8th edition, 1975, Rodwell Press
  3. ↑ "KE011Kenya Gede Ruins National Monument". BirdLife.
  4. ↑ Myers, Arthur (2001). "Curse of the Old Ones". The little giant book of "true" ghost stories. New York: Scholastic Inc. pp. 248–249. ISBN 0-439-33995-2.

Further reading

Coordinates: 3°19′S 39°59′E / 3.317°S 39.983°E / -3.317; 39.983

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