Lamu Old Town

Organization Science, Education and Culture of the United Nations Unesco has recognized Kenya's Lamu Old Town is a World Cultural Heritage in 2001.

Lamu is the oldest ancient city in Kenya, the city lies on the east coast of Africa, near the border with Somalia. The city is considered a tourist paradise in Kenya, it has a history with many mysteries and is a fascinating city, with its winding streets made of stones from the Middle Ages.

Lamu is the oldest ancient city in Kenya

Lamu still quiet, quaint and romantic as the first day the newly established

The alley is a winding path leading into the neighborhood poverty, deep hun smoking. Architectural houses in Lamu are not too picky, but still enough to notice the subtlety of these works. Most similar urban architecture with stone buildings, wooden door surrounded courts. Especially as there are so many walls are made of coral. Lamu architecture ancient city's influential European cultures, Arab and India. This combination creates a local architecture and classic elegance but still casual. One more excellent features of this ancient town is the very narrow road is not enough room for modern vehicles, there is also the reason that life noisy, bustling can not penetrate into the ancient town present. And so, the image of Lamu remains intact as the first day it was founded, the quiet, quaint, romantic. Over hundreds of years, life there still does not seem to change that much.

In the 14th century, Lamu is a port city bustling and vibrant boats dock. Now, vehicles are simple, more accurate to say primitive. The majority choose to walk. Donkeys are used as a heavy transport. When night falls, the city is lit by lanterns. Of Lamu scene when night falls, so that becomes a separate image get nowhere.

Narrow aisle, separate from the modern world

There are more than 700-year history, the old town of Lamu with many ancient buildings intact spread over an area of ​​more than 16ha. So far, this ancient city remains pretty much be the new architecture from the early age established 700 years ago. More important is the integrity of the cultural, social, city residents have been maintained, well preserved. Currently residents living in the old city maintains good Lamu lifestyle passed down through generations and the traditional festival has existed for hundreds of years. Unlike many ancient cities in the world to have a golden age will gradually decline and underdevelopment, Lamu was always crowded, bustling during the past 700 years. These residents preserve, conserve and inherit excellent traditional culture of their ancestors and passed on from generation to generation the most exhaustive way. If visiting Lamu today, visitors will feel feel lost in a different world by the ancient beauty, quiet different from the modern world.

Mosque in Lamu

The blending of many cultures Arabic, Persian, Indian elements combined with indigenous colors created very different culture of this land. Colors culture not only affects the architecture but also affects the spiritual life, religion and the rituals, customs and traditions on the island or say exactly is in the old town Lamu.

In the 14th century, Lamu is a port city bustling and vibrant boats docked

In the 18th and 19th century, Lamu is considered as an important religious center in East and Central Africa. At that time this beautiful city attracts many scholars, religious researchers to learn and study.

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