By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2010-07-17 12:19:10 | Word Count: 444
East Africa is endowed with a variety of historical and cultural sites. Each country boasts rich history dating back many centuries. The sites found in Kenya include Gedi ruins in Malindi, Fort Jesus in Mombasa, Koobi fora in Turkana all of which have been named world heritage sites. Here is a account of a few of these sites for those looking for ideas when arranging to go on an African safari.
Fort Jesus
Fort Jesus was built by Portuguese in 1593 and was basically a guarding fort.
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The fort changed hands nine times over its control in Mombasa by nations such as the Portuguese, Arabs, and British who used it to house prisoners until 1958 when they converted it to a historical monument.
Olduvai Gorge
Generally referred to as the cradle of mankind, this sharp sided ravine is located in the Great Rift Valley East of Serengeti plains and measures 30miles in length and 295ft deep. It is one of the most significant prehistoric sites in the world especially due to the aid in furthering the understanding the theory of human evolution.
The Gorge was discovered by a German entomologist named (Wilhelm) Kattwinkel who accidentally came across upon the gorge during one of his expeditions. The canyon comprises of an erosion-created rift with layer after layer of fossils, bones and old artifacts.
Louis and Mary Leakey started excavation work at this place and that work continues to this day by anthropologists.
Gedi Ruins
Once a Swahili town between the 13th and 17th century located at a village known as Gedi near the coastal town of Malindi, the ruins include of a palace, mosques, tomb stones and large stone houses.
The area was however, reoccupied by the nomadic Oromo tribe of Somalia in the late 16th century and later abandoned it in the 18th century. The name Gedi or Gede is a Galla word meaning "precious" which is believed to be either the name of the town or the name of the final Galla leader to camp there.
Koobi fora
Koobi forra is located near Lake Turkana vicinity and its name comes from the local language meaning the place of commiphora.
It consists of protrusions of mainly Pleistocene sediments comprising clay stones, silt stones, and sandstones that protect numerous fossils of terrestrial mammals, including early hominid variety and as such has been of great importance in the excavations of fossils significant to the human evolution theory.
Author Resource:-
Kenya One Tours offers tour services to East Africa, contact the reservations team for all your African safari travel bookings. Also get to check out some of their safaris to Kenya itineraries listed on the website.
