Gedi

Gedi
Photo by Roman Bruehwiler.

The Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi comprises the remains of a Swahili coastal settlement and maritime trade center that flourished between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The town, abandoned in the 17th century, had inner and outer city walls. Residential areas show segmentation between the social classes. Also, the distinct street layout, pillar tombs, the palace, and two Great Mosques have been preserved. Most buildings were made of coral stone from the Indian Ocean. The town was built 6km inland from the sea, possibly for defensive reasons.

Community Perspective: Go and see these atmospheric, overgrown ruins.

1 Locations 1 Reviews 9 Ratings 13 Connections 14 Visitors Plaques

Map of Gedi

Community Reviews

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Zoë Sheng

Chinese-Canadian - 19-Jan-24 -

Gedi by Zoë Sheng

Gedi is to be nominated very soon and I wouldn't be surprised if it slides through even though the visitor centers are all "Kenyan style" half built and then left forgotten. It can do without so just seeing the ruins is enough.

You arrive at the main gate where you can pick 3 tickets. If you are into snakes and butterflies stolen from the nearby forest then be my guest. They also guilt you into thinking you are supporting the local community this way. What you could do it hire a guide for the Gedi ruins alone. I chose not to because Gedi is like Angkor Wat and you explore overgrown ruins on your own. Zoe Croft was not going to miss out on this one!! (Don't want a sidekick for that!)

There are two areas which totally will take about an hour to see. It is true that you won't understand much of what you see but I felt that I don't need to know. "Here used to be a mosque" is enough for me. Very picturesque.

I do recommend to inscribe the property but I have to think if it should connect with Lamu in some way. It is also coral buildings and from the same time period but it is ruined instead of lengthy cultural use. 

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Site Info

Full Name
The Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi
Unesco ID
1720
Country
Kenya
Inscribed
2024
Type
Cultural
Criteria
2 3 4
Categories
Archaeological site - Civilizations of Sub-Saharan Africa
Link
By ID

Site History

2024 Inscribed

Site Links

Unesco Website
The Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi
Related

Extensive wiki page on the Ruins of Gedi

Virtual Tour

Locations

The site has 1 locations

Gedi

Connections

The site has

Art and Architecture
Coral Masonry: "Local materials such as coral stone, lime, coconut palm, mangrove poles and coral rag were used in the construction of the houses, tombs, and mosques." - AB Evaluation
Constructions
Latrines: "toilets in residential buildings is a notable element" (AB ev)
Tombs: "The site includes a number of notable structures such as a palace, mosques, large residences, pillar tombs" (AB ev)
Pillars: "Stone "pillar tombs" are a distinctive type of Swahili Coast architecture found at Gedi as well." (wiki)
Geography
Swahili culture: "an important and well-researched Swahili settlement" (AB ev)
History
Chinese Porcelain in Africa: "with the mosques and tombs embellished by carvings and inset with Chinese porcelain" (AB ev)
Fusion: "The fusion of African and Islamic beliefs can be seen in the layout of the city, in the distinctive architectural forms of its coral stone buildings, in the decorative details of its mosques and tombs, and in the technical know-how of the wells and hydraulic systems that sustained a large urban settlement over centuries of occupation." (OUV)
Human Activity
Irrigation and drainage: "The street layout and sophisticated water management system of Gedi are distinctive characteristics." (AB Ev)
Religion and Belief
Mosque: "The site includes a number of notable structures such as a palace, mosques, large residences, pillar tombs, and clusters of private dwellings" (AB Ev)
Science and Technology
Archaeological potential: "(...) the vegetated areas between the inner and outer walls are considered to have the potential to contain important archaeological evidence about the spatial arrangements and social hierarchies of the Swahili town." "Gedi has a high potential for future archaeological research that could further elaborate on the urban structure of the city, the morphology of Swahili cities, and the finer operations of the trade networks." (AB Ev)
Uncovered using Lidar: By the Zamani project
Timeline
Built in the 10th century: "Occupied from the 10th to the 17th centuries, Gedi flourished between the 12th to 15th century" (AB ev)
Visiting conditions
Foreigner prices: 500 Ksh for non-residents, 100 for Kenyans

Visitors

Community Members have visited.

The Plaque

No plaque has been identified yet for this site.