old town

Built by the Portuguese at the end of the 16th century (1593-1596) at the southern edge of the town of Mombasa, over a spur of coral rock, Fort Jesus' design with its proportions, its imposing walls and five bastions, reflects the military architectural theory of the Renaissance. Fort Jesus, Mombasa, bears physical witness, in its structures and subsequent transformations, also to the interchange of cultural values and influences between and among peoples of African, Arab, Turkish, Persian and European origin that fought to gain and maintain their control over this strategic port.