Lamu
Lamu | |
---|---|
Town | |
UTC+3 (EAT ) | |
Official name | Lamu Old Town |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi) |
Reference | 1055 |
Inscription | 2001 (25th Session) |
Area | 15.6 ha (39 acres) |
Buffer zone | 1,200 ha (3,000 acres) |
Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on
The town contains the
History
Early history
The original name of the town is Amu,[3] which the Arabs termed Al-Amu (آامو) and the Portuguese "Lamon". The Portuguese applied the name to the entire island as Amu was the chief settlement.
Lamu Town on Lamu Island is Kenya's oldest continually inhabited town, and was one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa. It is believed to have been established in 1370.[4]
Today, the majority of Lamu's population is Muslim.[5]
The town was first attested in writing by an Arab traveller Abu-al-Mahasini, who met a judge from Lamu visiting Mecca in 1441.
In 1506, the Portuguese fleet under Tristão da Cunha sent a ship to blockade Lamu, a few days later the rest of the fleet arrived forcing the king of the town to quickly concede to pay an annual tribute to them with 600 Meticals immediately.[6] The Portuguese action was prompted by the nation's successful mission to control trade along the coast of the Indian Ocean. For a considerable time, Portugal had a monopoly on shipping along the East African coast and imposed export taxes on pre-existing local channels of commerce. In the 1580s, prompted by Turkish raids, Lamu led a rebellion against the Portuguese. In 1652, Oman assisted Lamu to resist Portuguese control.
"Golden Age"
Lamu's years as an Omani protectorate during the period from the late 17th century to the early 19th century mark the town's golden age. Lamu was governed as a republic under a council of elders, known as the Yumbe, who ruled from a palace in the town; little exists of the palace today other than a ruined plot of land.[7] During this period, Lamu became a centre of poetry, politics, arts and crafts as well as trade. Many of the buildings of the town were constructed during this period in a distinct classical style.[7] Aside from its thriving arts and crafts trading, Lamu became a literary and scholastic centre. Woman writers such as the poet Mwana Kupona – famed for her Advice on the Wifely Duty – had a higher status in Lamu than was the convention in Kenya at the time.[7]
In 1812, a coalition Pate-Mazrui army invaded the archipelago during the Battle of Shela. They landed at Shela with the intention of capturing Lamu and completing the fort which had begun to be constructed, but were violently suppressed by the locals in their boats on the beach as they tried to flee.[7] In fear of future attacks, Lamu appealed to the Omanis for a Busaidi garrison to operate at the new fort and help protect the area from Mazrui rebels along the Kenyan coast.[7]
Colonial period
In the middle of the 19th century, Lamu came under the political influence of the
Modern Lamu
MuseumIn a 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund identified Lamu as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management and development pressure as primary causes.[11]
While the terror group Al Shabaab kidnappings had placed Lamu off-limits in September 2011, by early 2012 the island was considered safe. On 4 April 2012, the US Department of State lifted its Lamu travel restriction.[12] However, two attacks in the vicinity of Lamu in July 2014, for which Al Shabaab claimed responsibility, led to the deaths of 29 people.[13]
Climate
Lamu has a tropical dry savanna climate (Köppen climate classification As).
Climate data for Lamu | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.9 (87.6) |
31.3 (88.3) |
32.1 (89.8) |
31.1 (88.0) |
29.0 (84.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.4 (81.3) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.8 (87.4) |
31.2 (88.2) |
29.8 (85.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
24.7 (76.5) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.2 (73.8) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.5 (74.3) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.6 (76.3) |
24.6 (76.3) |
24.3 (75.7) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 6 (0.2) |
4 (0.2) |
25 (1.0) |
130 (5.1) |
329 (13.0) |
164 (6.5) |
75 (3.0) |
40 (1.6) |
39 (1.5) |
40 (1.6) |
39 (1.5) |
28 (1.1) |
919 (36.3) |
Average rainy days | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 85 |
Source: World Meteorological Organization[14] |
Economy
Lamu's economy was based on
Tourism has gradually refuelled the local economy in recent times, and it is a popular destination for backpackers. Many of the locals are involved in giving trips on dhows to tourists.[16]
Harambee Avenue is noted for its cuisine, and has a range of stores including the
The oldest hotel in the town, Petley's Inn, is situated on the waterfront.[4] Other hotels include recently renovated Amu House, the 20-room Bahari Hotel, Doda Villas, the Swedish-owned Jannat House, the 3-storey 23-room Lamu Palace Hotel, the 13-room Stone House Hotel, which was converted from an 18th-century house, and the 18-room Sunsail Hotel, a former trader's house on the waterfront with high ceilings.[19]
Mangroves are harvested for building poles, and Lamu has a sizeable artisan community, including carpenters who are involving in boat building and making ornate doors and furniture.[4]
The town is served by Lamu District Hospital to the south of the main centre, operated by the Ministry of Health. It was established in the 1980s,[20] and is one of the best-equipped hospitals on the Kenyan coast.[21]
The
Notable landmarks
The town was founded in the 14th century and it contains many fine examples of
Once a centre for the
There are several museums, including the
Lamu Fort
Lamu Fort is a fort in the town.
Riyadha Mosque
Donkey sanctuary
Since the island has no motorised vehicles, transportation and other heavy work is done with the help of donkeys. There are some 3000 donkeys on the island.[9] Dr. Elisabeth Svendsen of The Donkey Sanctuary in England first visited Lamu in 1985. Worried by the conditions for the donkeys, the Sanctuary was opened in 1987.[25] The Sanctuary provides treatment to all donkeys free of charge.
Culture
Lamu is home to the
Lamu Old Town was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, based on 3 criteria:
- The architecture and urban structure of Lamu graphically demonstrate the cultural influences that have come together there over several hundred years from Europe, Arabia, and India, utilising traditional Swahili techniques to produce a distinct culture.
- The growth and decline of the seaports on the East African coast and interaction between the Persians, Indians, and Europeans represents a significant cultural and economic phase in the history of the region which finds its most outstanding expression in Lamu Old Town.
- Its paramount trading role and its attraction for scholars and teachers gave Lamu an important religious function in the region, which it maintains to this day.[32]
Transport
In 2011, proposals were being advanced to build a deep-water port which would have much greater capacity in terms of depth of water, number of berths, and ability for vessels to arrive and depart at the same time than the country's main port at Mombasa.[33]
Manda Airport is located on Manda Island in the Lamu Archipelago of Lamu County on the western shore of the Indian Ocean, on the Kenya coast serves the Lamu and the county.
Its location is approximately 450 kilometres (280 mi) by air, southeast of Nairobi International Airport, the country's largest civilian airport. Several airlines serves the area including, Air Kenya, Safari Link and Fly 540 — there are daily flights to Malindi, Mombasa and Nairobi.
Notable residents
- Ustadh Mau (born 1952), Muslim scholar, poet and imam[34]
In popular culture
The song "Lamu"[35] by Christian singer Michael W. Smith is inspired by the island. In the song, Smith refers to Lamu as "an island hideaway...the place we soon will be a rebirth from life's demise...where the world is still". The song is about running away from life's problems.
Lamu is the setting of Anthony Doerr's short story "The Shell Collector" from his collection of stories by the same name.
Part of the events in the novel Our Wild Sex in Malindi (Chapters 14 and 15) by Andrei Gusev takes place in Lamu and on the neighboring Manda Island.[36][37]
Lamu is featured in Wilbur Smith's novel Monsoon.
Lamu is also the setting of the protagonist in three chapters of the novel Blue Yarn by Carrie Classon.
See also
- Juma and the Magic Jinn, a United States children's picture book set on Lamu Island
- Lamu Port and Lamu-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor
- Historic Swahili Settlements
- Swahili architecture
References
- ^ "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume II: Distribution of Population by Administrative Units". Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ Cheti Praxides. "Lamu youth dodging mosque time; where exactly are they?". The Star. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ Romero, Patricia (1997). Lamu. History, Society, and Family in an East African Port City. Marcus Wiener Publishers, p. 10
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84537-151-7.
- ^ Oded, Arye (2000). Islam and Politics in Kenya. Lynne Rienner Publishers, p. 11
- ^ Strandes, Justus (1971). "The Portuguese in East Africa". East African Literature Bureau. p.66.
- ^ a b c d e Trillo 2002, p. 555.
- ^ McIntyre & McIntyre 2013, p. 22.
- ^ a b Fitzpatrick 2009, p. 330.
- ^ "Lamu: German Post Office Historical – Background". National Museums of Kenya. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ "GHF". Global Heritage Fund. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ "Security message and Travel Warning (April 4, 2012) | Embassy of the United States". Nairobi.usembassy.gov. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ Akwiri, Joseph. "Gunmen kill at least 29 in latest raids on Kenyan coast". Reuters. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "World Weather Information Service – Lamu". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- ^ Transafrican Journal of History. East African Publishing House. 1980. p. 110.
- ^ Trillo 2002, p. 565.
- ^ a b Trillo 2002, p. 568.
- ^ Trillo 2002, p. 558.
- ^ Trillo 2002, p. 561.
- ^ "THE SAD CASE OF MOKOWE LAMU DISTRICT HOSPITAL". Cmkn.org. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ Fitzpatrick 2009, p. 328.
- ^ "LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority – Building Transformative and Game Changer Infrastructure for a Seamless Connected Africa". Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "A megaproject rises in East Africa". Africa Renewal. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Gettleman, Jeffrey (12 January 2010). "Future Kenya Port Could Mar Pristine Land". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ a b Trillo 2002, p. 566.
- ^ Fitzpatrick 2009, p. 343.
- ^ Briggs 2010, p. 204.
- ^ Bain, Bruyn & Williams 2010, p. 284.
- ^ Ham, Butler & Starnes 2012, p. 215.
- ^ a b Parkinson, Phillips & Gourlay 2006, p. 219.
- ^ Senoga-Zake 1986, p. 68.
- ^ Lamu Old Town, UNESCO
- ^ African Business, May 2011
- ^ Kresse, Kai & Swaleh, Kadara (6 February 2023). "Ustadh Mahmoud Mau, mtu wa watu ("A man of the people"): poet, imam, and engaged local intellectual". In this fragile world : Swahili poetry of commitment by Ustadh Mahmoud Mau. Brill. pp. 10–29.
- ^ "Artist, Christian, Worship Leader – Community, News, Tour Dates, Cruise and More". Michael W. Smith. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ Review of "Our Wild Sex in Malindi" on the site of public fund "Union of writers of Moscow", 2020
- ^ "Наш жёсткий секс в Малинди" (Our Wild Sex in Malindi) by Andrei Gusev, 2020.
- Bibliography
- Allen, James de Vere: Lamu, with an appendix on Archaeological finds from the region of Lamu by H. Neville Chittick. Nairobi: Kenya National Museums.
- Bain, Keith; Bruyn, Pippa de; Williams, Lizzie (22 April 2010). Frommer's Kenya and Tanzania. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-64546-8.
- Beckwith, Carol and Fisher, Angela, Text: Hancock, Graham: "African Ark, People and Ancient Cultures of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa," New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 1990. ISBN 0-8109-1902-8
- Briggs, Philip (2010). Kenya Highlights. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-267-5.
- Couffer, Jack: "The Cats of Lamu." New York: The Lyons Press, c1998. ISBN 1-85410-568-X
- Eliot, Charles (1966). The East African Protectorate. Routledge. ISBN 0-7146-1661-3.
- Engel, Ulf; Ramos, Manuel João (17 May 2013). African Dynamics in a Multipolar World. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-25650-7.
- Fitzpatrick, Mary (2009). East Africa. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74104-769-1.
- Ghaidan, Usam: Lamu: A study of the Swahili town. Nairobi: East African Literature Bureau, 1975.
- Ham, Anthony; Butler, Stuart; Starnes, Dean (1 June 2012). Lonely Planet Kenya. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74321-306-3.
- Jackson, Guida M. (2009). Women Leaders of Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Pacific: A Biographical Reference. Xlibris Corporation. ]
- McIntyre, Chris; McIntyre, Susan (1 April 2013). Zanzibar. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-458-7.
- Naipaul, Shiva: North of South, An African Journey, 1978. Page 177 ff, Penguin Travel, ISBN 978-0-14-018826-4
- Parkinson, Tom; Phillips, Matt; Gourlay, Will (2006). Kenya. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74059-743-2.
- Prins, A.H.J.: Sailing from Lamu: A Study of Maritime Culture in Islamic East Africa. Assen: van Gorcum & Comp., 1965.
- Romero, Patricia W.: Lamu: history, society, and family in an East African port city. Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener, c1997. ISBN 1-55876-107-1
- Senoga-Zake, George W. (1986). Folk Music of Kenya. Uzima Publishing House. ISBN 978-9966-855-02-2.
- Trillo, Richard (2002). Kenya. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-859-8.