The ruins of Gedi are close to the coast of the Indian Ocean, right next to the town of Gede, some 4 km from Watamu. The site is in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.
The ruins consist of a walled Swahili-Arab town that is thought to have been founded in the 13th century. They are one of the main historical monuments on the Kenyan coast. They cover a large area, but nobody knows exactly what town they were, as there is no mention of the town in any of the historical Arab or Portuguese chronicles of that time.
The ruined buildings include mosques, a palace, pillar tombs and numerous houses, all made from stone. There are large open spaces that once contained earth and thatch houses, but they didn't survive. Archaeological finds, including large amounts of imported pottery, beads and coins, suggest that Gedi was an important trade center. many of the items can be seen in the museum in Gede.
In the 17th or early 18th century it was suddenly abandoned for unknown reasons.
You can get to the ruins by any matatu (minibus) that runs between Malindi and Mombasa. Just get off at Gedi.The ruins of Gedi are a UNESCO world heritage site.
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