Overview
When you visit Gede Ruins in Watamu, you are taken back to a 12th-century Swahili settlement that served as a model of other townships along the coast of East Africa. Evidence shows that portions of the original settlement were rebuilt during the 15th and 16th centuries as a result of an increasing population from surrounding coastal villages and towns.
The mosques, palaces, houses and other structures demonstrate the abundant growth of wealth that was enjoyed by the townspeople until the 15th century, and the mystery of the Gede lies in the ultimate abandonment of the fruitful and thriving town two centuries later.