The remains of several centuries-old, once-bustling towns and trading posts dot the East African coast.
The most well-known ruins in Kenya are those at Gedi. Near Mtwapa town is a remarkable historic site called Jumba La Mtwana. It is a lesser-known one.The site's excavation got underway in 1972 with James Kirkman leading the way.
Based on archaeological evidence, the town was constructed in the 14th century and abandoned in the 15th century. The evidence primarily consists of fragments of early blue and white porcelain with luang-chuan celadon.
Under the National Museums of Kenya's jurisdiction, the ruins are situated approximately thirty minutes north of Mombasa.As soon as you exit the ticket office, the peaceful atmosphere of the tree-surrounded ruins greets you.In the midst of the busy town of Mtwapa, it is almost unbelievable that there is still a place that is unaffected by the changes and developments taking place all around it.
There are no written records, so much of the town's history is unknown.
In Swahili, the full name Jumba la Mtwana translates to "the large house of the slave." In this region, four mosques, a tomb, and four houses have all survived in a distinguishable state.
The House of the Cylinder, the House of the Kitchen, the three-phase House of the Many Pools, and the Great Mosque are some of these houses. Numerous abandoned mosques in this town attest to the fact that Muslims made up the majority of its population.
A charming abandoned village called Jumba la Mtwana is located near Kilifi on Kenya's coast. The location is about 15 kilometres north of Mombasa, on and above the beach, and about 1000 metres north of the mouth of Mtwapa Creek. It is also about 4 kilometres from the Mombasa-Malindi road, and it stretches 300 metres and 250 metres inland along the shore.
It is difficult to comprehend why the occupants would leave this place so quickly after spending so much money on the designs, but it is said that everyone left in the fifteenth century; today, it is a heritage and museum property. How come? Both of these mysteries still remain unsolved, but we are grateful that they exist at all to provide us with a small window into what might have been.
You can still visit the Great Mosque, which offers a panoramic view of the Indian Ocean, tombs, three smaller mosques with Mihrabs facing Mecca, and houses like the House of the Cylinder, the House of the Kitchen, and the House of Many Pools, despite the fact that many of the buildings have been destroyed over time.
Why did the town come to an end?
It's possible that the town's sudden evacuation was caused by the water supply becoming brackish.
https://paukwa.or.ke/jumba-ruins-remnants-of-an-ancient-town/