Gede is a small Swahili town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, just north of Mombasa. The site’s prominence arises from its spectacular coral stone architecture including houses, mosques, and a palace. Covering around 18 hectares, the main site is enclosed within the outer town wall, which is encircled by a sacred forest also known as kaya (Mijikenda). The town was inhabited as early as the 12th century and abandoned by the 17th century. During its 500-year lifespan, Gede rose to be one of the major city states along the Swahili coast. Its residents engaged in agriculture (farming and livestock) and were also involved in regional and transoceanic trade networks. Gede is a gazetted National Monument managed by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) and is on the UNESCO tentative World Heritage list.
Entrance to the Palace of Gedi
Palace of Gedi
An aerial view of the stone coral architecture of Gedi. Photograph courtesy of the Zamani Project
Did you know?
Communities living around Gede are mainly the Mijikenda and the Wagiriama. Kaya (sing.) or Makaya (pl.) is a Mijikenda word for sacred forest. Mijikenda means ‘nine settlements’ of closely related communities who traditionally lived in the Makaya.
Sources
1. Kirkman, J. 1954 The Arab City of Gedi: Excavations at the Great Mosque, Architecture and Finds. Oxford University Press.
2. UNESCO tentative World Heritage List. “The Historic Town of Gedi” [Link]
3. Zamani Project. “The Monuments of Gedi” [Link]
4. UNESCO World Heritage. “Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests” [Link]
