Mombasa.
A city. An island.
Did you know that there was once a time when Mombasa was the place several prominent people coveted? It was her strategic location by the Indian Ocean. Her meaningful relationship with the spice markets that made ships dock at her port every other week.
Mombasa is her name today, but initially the Arabs said Manbasa. Her present name was given to her in 1502. Though her history goes further back. The city was founded in 900 A.D by Mwana Mkisi and Shehe Mvita, and the island’s oldest structure dates back to 1300 A.D.
Much later, various foreigners anchored their ships along Mombasa with self-serving intentions. Rulership changed hands, and from these influences, the city grew and even prospered.
Mombasa would later be mapped within British Kenya. It was where East Africa’s first railway began and it was also the first city to undergo urban planning. Streets, causeways, bridges – they were all constructed and named.
Ah Mombasa…. a living legend. Want to know more about this historical city? Let the Streets of Mombasa tell you. We are striding down memory lane to discover this prominent coastal town.
