Swahili Port Cities: The Architecture of Elsewhere

Swahili Port Cities: The Architecture of Elsewhere reveals that the built environment of Lamu Old Town and other Swahili port cities is fundamentally shaped by a 'cosmopolitan longing'—a deep, enduring desire for connection to multiple global locales. Prita Meier's interdisciplinary analysis demonstrates how coral-stone architecture, imported materials like Chinese porcelain and Glasgow cast-iron verandas, and even minarets of Mombasa’s mosques reflect this poly-local identity. By layering historical, architectural, and social analyses—drawing on fieldwork, oral histories, and archival research across Kenya, Tanzania, Germany, and the UK—Meier challenges binary classifications (local/global, high/low) and uncovers how material culture mediates human experience while serving as a site of contestation. The study highlights Swahili urban spaces as dynamic palimpsests, where permanence coexists with mobility, and identity is constructed through both real and imagined oceanic connections.

Lee, R. (2019). Swahili Port Cities: The Architecture of Elsewhere. African Arts, 52(2), 94–95. https://doi.org/10.1162/afar_r_00471