World Heritage Identification Number: 1295
World Heritage since: 2011
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇰🇪 Kenya
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
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A Historical Landmark: Fort Jesus, Mombasa
Fort Jesus, situated on Mombasa Island off the coast of Kenya, stands as a testament to the early European influence on the Swahili Coast. This imposing structure, built between 1593 and 1596, is a remarkable example of 16th-century Portuguese military architecture and a significant landmark in the annals of fortification design.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1593-1596 to the designs of Giovanni Battista Cairati to protect the port of Mombasa, is one of the most outstanding and well preserved examples of 16th Portuguese military fortification and a landmark in the history of this type of construction. The Fort's layout and form reflected the Renaissance ideal that perfect proportions and geometric harmony are to be found in the human body. The property covers an area of 2.36 hectares and includes the fort's moat and immediate surroundings.
Encyclopedia Record: Fort Jesus
Fort Jesus is a fort located on Mombasa Island. Designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati, it was built between 1593 and 1596 by order of King Felipe II of Spain, who also reigned as King Filipe I of Portugal and the Algarves, to guard the Old Port of Mombasa. Fort Jesus is the only fort maintained by the Portuguese on the Swahili coast and is recognised as a testament to the first successful attempt by a Western power to establish influence over the Indian Ocean trade.Additional Site Details
Area: 2.36 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: -4.0627777778 , 39.6794444444
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© The original uploader was Zeljko at Croatian Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
