Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests

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The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests: A Testament to Cultural Tradition and Living History

The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, stand as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and living traditions of the Mijikenda people along the Kenyan coast. Spanning over 200 kilometers, this collection of 10 distinct forest sites houses the remnants of more than 60 fortified villages, or kayas, that date back to the 16th century.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The Mijikenda Kaya Forests consist of 10 separate forest sites spread over some 200 km along the coast containing the remains of numerous fortified villages, known as kayas, of the Mijikenda people. The kayas, created as of the 16th century but abandoned by the 1940s, are now regarded as the abodes of ancestors and are revered as sacred sites and, as such, are maintained as by councils of elders. The site is inscribed as bearing unique testimony to a cultural tradition and for its direct link to a living tradition.

Encyclopedia Record: Kaya (Mijikenda)

A kaya is a sacred site of the Mijikenda people in the former Coast Province of Kenya. Often located within sacred forests, a kaya is considered to be an intrinsic source of ritual power and the origin of cultural identity; it is also a place of prayer for members of the Mijikenda ethnic group. The settlement, ritual centre, and fortified enclosure associated with the forest are also part of the kaya. This ecozone is thought to be the only living example of what the ecosystem was like during the early settlement period of the East African coast. In the present day, the kaya is also referred to as a traditional organizational unit of the Mijikenda. Eleven of the approximately 60 separate makaya have been grouped together and inscribed as the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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