Mombasa - Description, History, Townships/Areas, Transportation, Outside Mombasa, Miscellaneous

4°04S 39°40E, pop (2000e) 697 000. Seaport in Coast province, SE Kenya; Kenya's main port; on Mombasa I, connected to mainland by Mukapa causeway; Kilindini harbour; capital of British East Africa Protectorate, 1888–1907; used as a British naval base in World War 2; airport; railway terminus; car assembly, oil refining, tourism; Fort Jesus (1593), now a museum.

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean.

Description

The city has a population of around 900,000 inhabitants (1999 census: 665,018) and is located on Mombasa Island, which is separated from the mainland by two creeks;

The town is mainly occupied by the Muslim Mijikenda/Swahili people.

Traditional dress for the Swahili women is a brightly coloured, printed cotton sheet called a kanga, which may have inspirational slogans printed on it, and type of black headdress and veil called a "bui bui".

There are several places to visit in Mombasa, including Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese, and the Old Town, which is by now in bad need of repair but still shows plenty of examples of the old Islamic architecture.

History

The founding of Mombasa is associated with two rulers: Mwana Mkisi (female) and Shehe Mvita. According to oral history and medieval commentaries (also based on oral history), Shehe Mvita superseded the dynasty of Mwana Mkisi and established his own town on Mombasa Island. The ancient history associated with Shehe Mvita and the founding of an urban settlement on Mombasa Island is still linked to present-day peoples living in Mombasa.

Most of the early information on Mombasa comes from Portuguese chroniclers writing in the sixteenth century.

The exact founding date of the city is unkown, but it has a long history.

The great Chinese fleet of Zheng He is supposed to have visited Mombasa around 1415.

Vasco da Gama was the first known European to visit Mombasa, receiving a chilly reception in 1498.

In 1698, the town came under suzerainty of the Sultanate of Oman, but it became subordinate to Zanzibar, prompting regular local rebellions. Oman appointed three consecutive Governors (Wali in Arabic, Liwali in Kiswahili]):

12 December 1698 - December 1698 Imam Sa`if ibn Sultan December 1698 - 1728 Nasr ibn Abdallah al-Mazru`i 1728 - 12 March 1728 Shaykh Rumba

Next, Mombasa returned under Portuguese rule by captains-major Álvaro Caetano de Melo Castro (12 March 1728 - 21 September 1729), then four new Omani Liwali till 1746, when the last of them made it independent again (disputed by Oman), as the first of its recorded Sultans:

1746 - 1755 `Ali ibn Uthman al-Mazru`i 1755 - 1773 Masud ibn Naisr al-Mazru`i 1773 - 1782 Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mazru`i 1782 - 1811 Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Mazru`i (b. 1823) 1823 - 1826 Sulayman ibn `Ali al-Mazru`i

From 9 February 1824 to 25 July 1826 there was a British protectorate over Mombasa, represented by Governors.

On 25 May 1887, its administration was relinquished to the British East Africa Association (see Kenya).

Mombasa was part of the state of Zanzibar until 12 Dec 1963 when it was ceded to be incorporated into the newly independent state of Kenya.

Townships/Areas

Kizingo - Considered the prime residential area of Mombasa.

Nyali - It is on the mainland north of the island &

Changamwe - Industrial

Kibokoni - Part of Old Town with swahili architecture.

Makadara - Part of Old Town consisting of a high number of descendants of Baluchi soldiers who settled within this area before it developed into a town.

Ganjoni - Primarily residential.

Tudor - Another middle class residential area.

Transportation

The airport of the city is the Moi International Airport. Mombasa has a railway station and Kenya Railways runs overnight passenger trains from Mombasa to Nairobi, though the service is less extensive than it used to be. Within Mombasa, most local people use Matatus (minibuses) to move between villages and Mombasa Island.

Outside Mombasa

Mikindani - Township 10 minutes northwest of Mombasa Island, situated on the Nairobi Road.

Magongo - Small town that serves as a link between the city and Moi International Airport.

Miscellaneous

Mombasa is a sister city of Seattle, USA. present overseas territories

North Africa:	Aguz (Souira Guedima) (1506-1525) | Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) (1458-1550) | Arzila (Asilah) (1471-1550, 1577-1589) | Azamor (Azemmour) (1513-1541) | Ceuta (1415-1640) | Mazagan (El Jadida) (1485-1550, 1506-1769) | Mogador (Essaouira) (1506-1525) | Safim (Safi) (1488-1541) | Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) (1505-1769) | Tangier (1471-1662)
Subsaharan Africa:	Accra (1557-1578) | Angola (Portuguese West Africa) (1575-1975) | Annobón (1474-1778) | Arguin (1455-1633) | Cabinda (Portuguese Congo) (1885-1975) | Cape Verde (1642-1975) | Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) (1482-1637) | Fernando Póo (1478-1778) | Portuguese Gold Coast (1482-1642) | Cacheu 1588-1974) | Madagascar (part) (1496-1550) | Malindi (1500-1630) | Mascarene Islands (1498-1540) | Mombassa (1593-1698, 1728-1729) | Mozambique (Portuguese East Africa) (1501-1975) | Saint Helena | Quíloa (Kilwa) (1505-1512) | Saint Laurent Islands (Madagascar) (1498-1540) | São João Baptista de Ajudá (1680-1961) | São Tomé and Príncipe 1753-1975 (São Tomé 1470-1975, Príncipe 1500-1975) | Socotra (1506-1511) | Zanzibar (1503-1698) | Ziguinchor (1645-1888)
West Asia:	Bahrain (1521-1602) | Gamru (Bandar Abbas) (1506-1615) | Hormuz (Ormus) (1515-1622) | Muscat (1515-1650)
Indian Subcontinent:	Ceylon (Ceilão) (1518-1658) | Laccadive Islands (1498-1545) | Maldives (1518-1521, 1558-1573) | Portuguese India (Baçaím (Vasai) 1535-1739, Bombay (Mumbai) 1534-1661, Calicut (Kozhikode) 1512-1525, Cambay (Khambhat) , Cannanore (Kannur) 1502-1663, Chaul 1521-1740, Chittagong 1528-1666, Cochim (Kochi) 1500-1663, Cranganore (Kodungallur) 1536-1662, Dadra and Nagar Haveli 1779-1954, Daman and Diu 1559-1962, Goa 1510-1962, Hughli (1579-1632), Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1598-1610, Mangalore 1568-1659, Negapatam (Nagapattinam) 1507-1657, Paliacate (Pulicat) 1518-1619, Quilon (Coulão, Kollam) 1502-1661, Salsette Island 1534-1601, São Tomé de Meliapore (Saint Thomas of Mylapur) 1523-1662/1687-1749, Surat 1540-1612, Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) 1548-1658)
East Asia and Oceania:	Banda Islands (1512-1621) | Flores | Macau 1553-1999 (Coloane 1864-1999, Taipa 1851-1999, Ilha Verde 1890-1999, Lapa and Montanha 1938-1941) | Makassar (1512-1665) | Malacca (Melaka) (1511-1641) | Moluccas 1512-1621 (Ambon 1576-1605, Ternate 1522-1575, Tidore 1578-1650) | Nagasaki (Decima) (1571-1639) | Portuguese Timor (East Timor) (1642-1975)
South America:	Brazil (1500-1822) | Cisplatina (Uruguay) (1808-1822) | French Guiana (1809-1817) | Nova Colônia do Sacramento (1680-1777) | Upper Peru (1822) | Portuguese colonization of the Americas
North Atlantic:	Azores (1432-) | Madeira (1420-)

Coordinates: 4°03′S 39°40′E