San Franciscans have passionate perspectives on every subject, especially their signature landmark.

Mombasa

Fort Jesus

Fort Jesus was built by the Portuguese towards the end of the 16th century (1593-1596) on the coastline near Old Town. Mombasa was a transit place for trade at that time and a gateway to India, and the fort was build to protect the town from outside invaders. Today, it has grown to become one of the most visited places.

The fort stood over a spur of corals and it tells the story of how the Portuguese at one time ruled the trade routes of the Indian Ocean. Its location ensures that they could see any ship as it approached. It also tells the story of how many slaves perished from torture, hunger and disease as they waited to be transported. During the East African Slave Trade era, slaves would travel to Arabia and the Persian Gulf through the port of Mombasa, many becoming labourers, guards, soldiers, or concubines.

After the Portuguese inhabited it, the fort was the subject of battle. Between 1631 and 1895, it was captured and recaptured, changing hands nine times, with the Omani Arabs winning control over it in 1698. In 1895, the British transformed it into a prison, and held slaves in the torture rooms and cells in the inner part of the fort. There were also cannons to protect the interior from invasions and dissatisfied locals. After recapturing it, the Portuguese refurbished it and has since been refurbished a number of times, its structures revealing Portuguese, Arab, and British influences

In 1858, it became a national park, and in 2011 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, marked as one of the most brilliant structures from the 16th century