From the 13th or 14th to 17th centuries, Gedi was a thriving community
along the jungle coast of East Africa. Although no written record exists
of this town, excavations between 1948 and 1958 revealed that the
Muslim inhabitants traded with people from all over the world. Some of
the findings included beads from Venice, coins and a Ming vase from
China, an iron lamp from India, and scissors from Spain. The population
was estimated to exceed at least 2500 people. These items can be found
in the museum in the complex which was opened in 2000.
Gedi had a
mosque, a palace, and large stone houses. These houses were complex for
their time, with bathrooms with drains and overhead basins to flush
toilets. The city's streets were laid out at right angles and had
drainage gutters. There are also wells which supplied water to the
community. The material used to construct the buildings was made from
coral reef from the nearby ocean.
In the early 16th century, the
village was abandoned. A possible explanation was that a punitive
expedition came from Mombasa against Malindi and forced the inhabitants
to leave. A temporary reoccupation likely occurred by the nomadic Oromo
tribe from Somalia in the late 16th century, who later abandoned the
town.
It is unclear whether the actual name of the town was Gedi,
Gede, or Kilimani. The Galla word "Gede" means "precious", but the town
might have been named after the last Galla leader to camp on the site.
The
area was gazetted as a National Monument in 1927. In 1948, the remains
of Gedi were declared a Kenyan national park. The ruins continue to be a
popular tourist destination. Recently a tree house has been constructed
in the center of the complex, around a giant tree near the main palace
ruins. The site is usually open till 6 pm. There is also a small shop to
buy drinks and souvenirs.
The site is inhabited by guenon monkeys, which frequently
