While MombasaÂ’s Old town doesnÂ’t quite have the medieval charm of Lamu or Zanzibar, itÂ’s still an interesting area to wander around. The houses here are characteristic of coastal East African architecture, with ornately carved doors and window frames and fretwork balconies, designed to protect the modesty of the female inhabitants.
Sadly, many of these have been destroyed; there is now a preservation order on the Remaining doors and balconies, so further losses should hopefully be prevented. The Mombasa Old town conservation Society is encouraging the renovation of many dilapidated buildings.
From the outside there’s little evidence what any of these buildings were once used for. To flesh out their history, it’s worth picking a copy of the booklet ‘the old town of Mombasa; A historic guide (Kshs 200) from the tourist office or the Fort Jesus ticket office. This excellent guide features old photos, a good map and a building by building account of the various structures-as well as a description of the unusual trolley service that used to run through the city.
Early morning or late afternoon is the best time to walk around as there’s more activity, although most houses are residential these days and the streets are rather quiet, except for the honking of horns as the cars edge their way round blind corners. This tour can take anything from 30 minutes up to 1 ½ hours, depending on how many stops you make along the way.
We start our walk at Fort Jesus, the obvious gateway famous landmark for the Old Town. When you have had your fill of the ramparts and relics, head past the colonial Mombasa Club onto Sir Mbarak Hinawy Rd, once the main access road to the port and now a lively thoroughfare punctuated with shops and football graffiti.
On the left, Ani’s Arcade is a three storey building that dates back to 1900, when it was occupied by a British Shipping agency. Further along, Dalal House was once the National Bank of South Africa; the pleasant orange façade was restored in 2000.Another former financial institution, the Standard Bank, is just along from here, next to the Old town conservation office.
On the other side of the street youÂ’ll see the minaret of the 16th century Mandhry Mosque, one of the oldest still in use in Mombasa. The decorative fresh water well for worshipperÂ’s ablutions is on the other side of the conservation office.
Turn the corner at the end of the street and youÂ’ll enter Government Square, the largest open space in the Old town, facing towards the harbour. The buildings lining the square used to hold some of the cityÂ’s key administrative offices, including the customs office, the Dhow RegistrarÂ’s office, the treasury on Thika St and the Italian consulate.
As you head northwest youÂ’ll also the scent emporium, founded in 1850 and still trading today, and the rather less refined odours of the new fish market. An annex of the still-operational original market further north.
Uphill next to the market is the Bohra Mosque, a prominent modern structure with a tall minaret, built on the site of a previous mosque. Turn left down the winding streets here you reach Ndia Kuu Rd, where youÂ’ll see the former public library in front of you, the first of its kind in Kenya. Heading north, a right turn takes you to the Leven by the water front, site of the former British colonial administration.
Returning to Ndia Kuu rd, turn left past the Ithna Asheri Mosque and head down Kitui Rd into an area known as Kitovuni. Just off this street is the pillar mosque, a three storey building with unusual wooden pillars. At the end of the street youÂ’ll find Piggot Place, another colonial square. The building on the west side is GlenÂ’s Building, which bears little resemblance to its original design and is chiefly noted for being named after a dog!
From here, mosque fans can detour down Wachangamwe St to catch the colourful, modern Memon Mosque and the more traditional Badala and Badri mosques, before heading back down Old Kilindini Rd past the 16th century Basheikh Mosque to rejoin Ndia Kuu Rd.
Once you are on this straight home stretch, the final stages of your route can be as direct or as tangential as you wish-diverting into Side Street to see the real life of the Old town is highly recommended, and it hard to get truly lost. The winding alleyways ways linking the Old town to Digo road are wonderfully lively, with market traders selling everything from Kangas (printed wraps worn by women) and mobile phones accessories to baobab seeds and fried taro roots.
If you do stick to Ndia Kuu Rd, there are a lot of nicely restored traditional buildings, most now occupied by souvenir shops. Heading south, youÂ’ll pass Hansing & co the former German import/export office; the criterion, once a well known hotel; an Indian-style house known as the balcony house, for obvious reasons; Edward St rose, the former chemist, which retains its original engraved glass panel; and AliÂ’s Curio Market, one of the better preserved balcony houses and formerly MombasaÂ’s police headquarter. Pass the Muslims cemetery and you are back at fort Jesus, hopefully refreshed and enlivened by a glance into MombasaÂ’s recent past.
Robert is a travel expert with Landmarksafaris.com. Degreed in tourism management, he has authored more than 1000 articles on Kenya East Africa travel. Blah Blah Blah: http://www.landmarksafaris.com/planner/?refferer=ezinearticles
Kris Kristofferson – This Old Road
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