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38-950: The largest of the islands are Pate Island , Manda Island and Lamu Island . Smaller islands include Kiwayu , which lies in the Kiunga Marine National Reserve , and Manda Toto . Today the largest town in the archipelago is Lamu Town , on Lamu Island . The town is on the World Heritage List . The archipelago contains several archaeological/historical sites of great significance, such as Takwa and Manda Town (both on Manda Island ) and Shanga (on Pate Island ). Some have been partially excavated in later years, shedding important new light on Swahili history and culture. There are some other accounts that mention Chinese ships of Zheng He 's fleet sinking near Lamu Island in Kenya in 1415. Survivors settled on

76-564: A clan who still live in the nearby Swahili town of Siyu. Rezende's description of Siyu in 1634 states that "the kingdom of Sio has no king but is ruled by governors" In 1999, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times reported a surprising encounter on the island of Pate. He found a village of stone huts. He talked to an elderly man living in the village who said that he was a descendant of Chinese explorers who were shipwrecked there centuries before. The Chinese had supposedly traded with

114-436: A distinct 'Lamu style', characterised by the widespread adoption of the trilobal arch and the use of stucco ornamentation. 2°06′12″S 41°01′14″E  /  2.10333°S 41.02056°E  / -2.10333; 41.02056 This Coast Province location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pate Island Pate (Paté) Island ( Swahili pronunciation: [ˈpate] )

152-416: A pronounced use of stucco for decoration and the adoption of the trilobal arch. The trilobal arch, a more elaborate design than the broken arch used previously, emerged in the 17th century under the influence of Indian traders. By the late 18th century this form had evolved into a polylobal design. The construction techniques for the mihrab arches involved ashlar blocks of coral bound with mortar, covered with

190-465: A square plan, a small mihrab decorated with Indian-style volutes and blind arcades, and two small pillars flanking the mihrab projection. In conclusion, the 18th and 19th centuries witnessed a dynamic change in the design of mihrabs within the mosques of the Lamu archipelago. The emergence of Pate, changing political landscapes and external influences from India and Oman all contributed to the development of

228-496: A thick layer of stucco, and topped with pointed arches with a central boss. Decoration played an important role in the new style. The tympanums, the recessed areas above the arch, continued the tradition of using inlaid ceramics as seen in Pate. However, there was a change in the material used for the central boss, from coral to stucco. The frame of the mihrab itself was decorated with stucco panels with geometric designs. The interior of

266-569: Is also evident in this architectural development. The flowering of this new style finds parallels in Yemeni mosques, particularly in Surat, where mihrabs with finely carved trilobal arches suggest a growing economic relationship with India. The Ndia Kuu Mosque in Mombasa, excavated in 1985, reinforces this external influence. This 17th century mosque, probably used by Indian and Pakistani mercenaries, had

304-591: Is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya , to which it belongs. It is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago , which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga in the former Coast Province . The island is almost completely surrounded by mangroves . Like much of the Swahili Coast, Pate's history was marked by a steady transition from agricultural communities in

342-659: Is not known, but it might date from the 13th century. Gaspar de Santo Bernadino visited the town in 1606, and stated that it was the largest town on the island. Siyu's main claim to historical fame is that it through several battles withstood the Sultans of Zanzibar . In 1843 the Sheikh of Siyu, Bwana Machaka wa Shee, and the new Sheikh of Pate , repudiated the sovereignty of Seyyid Said , Sultan of Oman and Zanzibar. In response, Seyyid Said assembled an army consisting of 2000 people from Muscat , Baluchistan and Lamu . Leading them

380-628: Is situated on the North coast (east of Faza) and is the largest fishing port on the island. Lying slightly north of Rasini, the fishing port straddles 2° 4'11.90"S and 41° 8'29.92"E, and is the southern reach of the Kizingitini-Kiunga Spiny lobster fishery. Shanga is an important archaeological site, situated on the South-East coast of the island. It was excavated during an eight-year period, starting in 1980. The earliest settlement

418-734: The Chinese during the era of the Yongle Emperor and the expeditions of Zheng He . Watamu is a small fishing community and contains East Africa's first marine national park, the Watamu Marine National Park . The Coast Provinces had a population of 3,325,307 in 2009. The climate is designated as Aw in the Köppen climate classification system. In 1999, the Mombasa Republican Council

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456-418: The Chinese sailors had named. A local guide who claimed descent from the Chinese showed Frank a graveyard made out of coral on the island, indicating that they were the graves of the Chinese sailors, which the author described as "virtually identical" to Chinese Ming dynasty tombs, complete with "half-moon domes" and "terraced entries". Coast Province The Coast Province ( Swahili : Mkoa wa Pwani )

494-619: The Friday Mosque Horton relates this to the writing of the historian João de Barros , about members of an Arab tribe, generally believed to be Qarmatians , who arrived at the Swahili coast. De Barros connects these new arrivals with a republican style of government. Shanga was abandoned between 1400–1425; the event was recorded in both the History of Pate and in oral tradition. The Washanga ("the people of Shanga") consist of

532-577: The Sultan of Zanzibar massacred almost all the rulers of Siu, he forcefully arrested the ones remained in Siu town and deported them to Mombasa for imprisonment at fort Jesus along with the others who survived the Zanzibar Massacre. When Siyu finally succumbed to Zanzibar's dominance, under Sultan Majid in 1863, it was one of the last towns on the whole of the Swahili Coast to do so. Kizingitini

570-410: The artistic influences of various trading partners. This is particularly evident in the design of the mihrab, the prayer niche of symbolic importance within a mosque. The 18th and 19th centuries witnessed a period of significant change on the Swahili coast, particularly in the Lamu archipelago. The rise of Pate as a major political force, challenging Portuguese control of Mombasa, is thought to have been

608-415: The catalyst for a distinct "new Swahili mihrab" style. This essay examines the development of this unique style, exploring its key features, the influences that shaped it, and prominent examples. The period was marked by a surge in mosque construction, with 22 mosques built in Lamu town and 12 in Pate between 1750 and 1820. A new style of mihrab (prayer niche) was developed, characterised by two key elements:

646-455: The early first millennium into a specialized, urban trading society around the 10th century, likely earlier. Islam spread down the coast from African Muslims in the Horn of Africa , helping to develop what would be known as the Swahili culture. Despite myths to the contrary, Pate was neither an Arab nor Persian colony, but an African town frequented by trading Arabs, Persians, Indians, and others. It

684-547: The end of the 18th century. In 1811, two British naval officers, Smee and Hardy, visited Pate, and witnessed the infighting. In 1813, the famous " Battle of Shela " took place at Shela . This was an attempt by Pate, allied with the Mazrui clan from Mombasa / Oman , to subject Lamu. The attempt failed totally, and many were killed. Only a handful of people managed to return to Pate, and their losses were felt for years. Thomas Boteler, who visited Pate in 1823, described seeing

722-538: The famous Amir Hemed was killed and was buried in Rasini where his grave exists to date. Seyyid Said used to pay tribute to his grave at Rasini every year. It is believed Amir Hemed was very swift with his sword to the extent of stopping all arrows and spears shot at him in battlefield. The soldiers of Siu knew about this and during this battle two archers from the Siu army shot two arrows at him in one second targeting his armpit. When Amir Hemed swiftly lifted his sword to stop

760-501: The first arrow the second shot his chest from the arm pit. It was a poisoned arrow and it killed him instantly. Seyyid Said planned a revenge to avenge the death of his cousin. After a while he cheated almost all the rulers, advisors and generals of Siu into a diplomatic mission with him in Zanzibar, but he turned this into a massacre mission for the rulers of Siu. They were advised by the sultan to leave behind all their weapons since it

798-505: The island and married local women. This has been proven recently by archaeological work on the island that has resulted in the finding of evidence to suggest this connection. Further DNA testing done on some residents show that they indeed have Chinese ancestors. For centuries, the Swahili coast of East Africa has been a cultural crossroads. The mosques, central to the religious life of the region, bear witness to this rich heritage. Their architecture reflects not only Islamic traditions but also

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836-678: The island, with the police station, is in Faza . Faza town, on the North coast, known by the name of Ampaza by the Portuguese, dates back at least to the 14th century. In 1587, the Portuguese destroyed Faza, because the local Sheikh had supported Mir Ali Bey , a notorious privateer who had earlier played a key role in ousting the Portuguese from Muscat . The Portuguese arrived from Goa with some 650 men on their punitive expedition , and unleashed their fury on Faza. Everybody they could find

874-521: The locals, and had even loaded giraffes onto their ship to take back to China. However, the Chinese ran aground on a nearby reef. Kristof found evidence that confirmed the man's story. Such evidence included the Asian features of the people in the village, plus Asian-looking porcelain artefacts. National Geographic then published an article by Frank Viviano in July 2005. He had visited Pate island during

912-400: The mihrab apse was decorated with triangular plaster mouldings, while the semi-dome vault had a fluted surface. Examples of this style include a Lamu mihrab with an inscription dated 1753, and mihrabs at Simambaya and Utondwe (Tanzania) dated 1796 and 1782 respectively. Interestingly, Omani mosques built during this period showed a strong resemblance to the Swahili models, with bays parallel to

950-520: The musical instrument known as Siwa were most famous. Two examples of Siwas are held in the museum in Lamu. Both men and women wrote poetry in the Kiamu dialect of Swahili . The Utendi wa Tambuka , one of the earliest known documents in Swahili, was written in the royal Yunga palace in Pate Town. The downfall of Pate town came as a consequence of continuous quarrelling/warring with its neighbours from

988-525: The qibla wall and a projecting mihrab. The Omani Simambaya Mosque, built between 1725 and 1765, is an example of this similarity. A later example, the Swahili Wa Deule mosque at Shela (Lamu), built in 1848 according to an inscription in the mihrab, demonstrates the continued use of the trilobal arch. This particular mihrab was framed by semicircular mouldings and decorated with panels of floral and geometric motifs. The influence of external factors

1026-564: The references in the Chronicle to Pate's early history are wrong, and that the town is younger. The 18th century was known as the "Golden Age of Pate", when the town was at its height of powers and also prospered in fine arts. Builders constructed some of the finest houses on the Swahili coast, with extensive elaborate plaster works. Goldsmiths made intricate jewellery, fine cloths (including silks) were made by Pate's weavers, and carpenters produced fine wooden furniture. The use and production of

1064-457: The remains of a Portuguese fort, but said that the place looked otherwise poor. The poet Mwana Kupona (d. 1860) also lived at Pate Town. By 1892, the number of inhabitants had fallen to 300, down from 7,000. Today, the town has recovered some. Agriculture is the main economic activity. Siyu town is situated on the North coast of Pate island. As no major excavations have been done in Siyu, its age

1102-412: The rise of Pate. The English Consul Holmwood visited the place in 1873 and found it "dirty and infected with diseases". The Pate Sultanate was a sultanate from at least the beginning of the 13th century until 1895. From 1858 on it was the domain known as Wituland . Archeological evidence suggests Pate was a prominent location in local trade networks by the 10th century. Pate Town is situated on

1140-639: The south-west coast of the island. According to the Pate Chronicle , the town of Pate was founded by refugees from Oman in the 8th century. It was re-founded in 1203 by members of the Nabhani family , also from Oman. The Pate Chronicle also claims that in the 14th century, Pate was so powerful that it had conquered most of the towns on the Swahili coast . However, recent archaeological findings (by Neville Chittick and later, Mark Horton ) suggest that

1178-399: The south. Some of the coastal population was located in resort and beach settlements such as Kiongwe and Kipini . Diani Beach was one of the province's major tourist centres, with palm trees and white sandy beaches like Mombasa. Malindi is where Vasco da Gama picked up his pilot to navigate with the monsoon winds to India; Mambrui appears to be the site where contact occurred with

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1216-573: The time he stayed on Lamu. Ceramic fragments had been found around Lamu, which the administrative officer of the local Swahili history museum claimed were of Chinese origin; specifically, from Zheng He 's voyage to the Swahili Coast. The eyes of the Pate people resembled Chinese. Famao and Wei were some of the names among them which were speculated to be of Chinese origin. Their ancestors were said to be from indigenous women who intermarried with Chinese Ming sailors when they were shipwrecked. Two places on Pate were called "Old Shanga", and "New Shanga", which

1254-404: Was a diplomatic one. Upon arrival in Zanzibar, Seyyid Said individually asked every individual in the Siu mission the whereabouts of Amir Hemed and everybody who answered that he is dead was killed instantly by the Sultan. Some of the diplomats who answered that Amir Hemed is still alive were spared but they were imprisoned for life at fort Jesus in Mombasa which was also under the Sultan then. After

1292-407: Was dated to the 8th century, and the conclusion drawn from archaeological evidence (locally minted coins, burials) indicate that a small number of local inhabitants were Muslim, probably from the late 8th century onwards, and at least from the early ninth. The excavations also revealed a major break in the development of Shanga in the mid or late 11th century, with the destruction and the rebuilding of

1330-476: Was his cousin, General Seyyid Hemed bin Ahmed Al-Busaidy, known as "Amir Hemed". He had previously been Governor of Bandar Abbas (in 1824). He landed at Faza in early January 1844. On 6 January they moved towards Siyu, but were ambushed and forced back to Faza. After three weeks without a victory Amir Hemed sailed off. In 1845 Siyu gave Seyyid Said one of his greatest military defeats, in this battle

1368-511: Was killed, including the local Sheikh. The Portuguese preserved his head in a barrel of salt for display in India . After four days of looting they invited Faza's arch-rivals from Pate town to take away anything that they liked from Faza. Faza was later resettled. The Portuguese in Faza constructed a chapel there, however, nothing remains of it. In the 18th century Faza again fell into decline due to

1406-515: Was one of Kenya 's eight provinces . It covered the entire country's coastline on the Indian Ocean . Its capital city was Mombasa . It was inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili peoples, among others. The province covered an area of 79,686.1 km . Some of the province's important towns included Kilifi , Malindi , Watamu and Lamu in the north, and Mwandimu and Magunda in

1444-410: Was the centre of the Pate sultanate from the 13th–19th centuries. The Swahili port of Pate long vied with Lamu and Takwa (on Manda Island ) for economic dominance of the area, and came into prominence around the 14th century. It was subjugated by Lamu, however, in the late 19th century. Public transportation is provided by a few mini buses (known as matatus ). The main administrative centre on

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