Lamu Island in Kenya

3 February 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  11 minutes

Lamu Town © flickr.com - Erik (HASH) Hersman/cc-by-2.0

Lamu Town © flickr.com – Erik (HASH) Hersman/cc-by-2.0

Lamu Island is a port, city, and island just off the shore of Kenya in the Indian Ocean approximately 150 miles from Mombasa. It is a part of the East African country of Kenya. Lamu was founded in the 12th Century. Lamu is one of the longest established, and best preserved remaining settlements of the Swahili tradition in east Africa that remains today. The island has continually been inhabited for over seven hundred years, and continues to be an important center in eastern Africa. In 2001, Lamu was designated a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO site. Centuries ago the island of Lamu was highly dependent on the function of slavery in its economy, since abolishment of slavery the island has looked for other ways to bring wealth back into its economy. With the diverse cultural and colorful design of Lamu, it is a place of interest for tourists drawn to the East African Coast.   read more…

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