By Patrick Beja
In 1980, important, new evidence was found for the early settlement of the Lamu archipelago, the traditional centre of the Swahili culture on the East Coast of Kenya.
National Museums of Kenya (NMK) teamed up with archaeologists from the University of Cambridge and carried out an archaeological project for the ancient Shanga village.
A visitor views ancient tombs left on Pate Island by early Arab settlers. Photo: Marufu Mohammed/Standard |
Excavators found that, like the neighbouring Siyu village, Shanga hosts many ruins that were later gazetted as national monuments.
NMK official Alawy Abzein explains that the Jamia or Friday mosque at Shanga was the most sophisticated building of the town. It is one of three mosques dating back over 600 years.
The Friday mosque is rectangular building with courtyards to the east and west and a domed hall in the centre.
Big towns
"Shanga and Siyu were possibly big towns with thriving trade hosting thousands of people," Abzein says.
The British Institute in Eastern Africa was the first to point out its historical importance in 1965. The institute’s excavations at the nearby Manda Island near Lamu town showed this was inhabited by traders from the ninth century who contributed to a sophisticated culture.
Archaeologists have noted that the study of various sites in Lamu was still in its infancy and therefore a lot still needs to be done.
