Gedi The Historic Town

Gedi should have been a bigger city today if it was not abandoned. Located in today’s Kenya, in a coastal region at 94km from Mombasa in the North. Gedi is a Historical City founded in the 13th century and abandoned in the 17th century. The reason why this pearl was abandoned is still unclear, many hypotheses have been stated about this. Within its boundaries, the city has a hierarchical lifestyle.

Gedi had two walls surrounding it:

• Within the inner wall, we find the great Mosque, The pillar tomb and the Coral Tomb on which is engraved in Arabic script 1399. A 50m deep well, is near the mosque, believed to have been used for ablutions. And some homes for those considered to be the rich people of Gedi (the first social class).

• Between the inner wall and the outer wall, there were homes for the middle-class people, farms and plantations.

• Finally, outside the walls is where the peasant was living.

The entire town occupied an area of 44 hectares of land. some chambers had no windows and doors. The only way to enter was through a secret door at the roof. These chambers are believed to be used for storing precious goods (golds and jewels), they are also believed to be used by the noblemen.

The buildings were constructed with corals, plaster and earth with the Swahili Style of Architecture. Gedi is also known to have been trading with the exterior civilisations. The founded artefacts like Chinese vases and glasses prove it. The Citizens of Gedi were in Contact with the exterior.

African civilisations have been known for living primitive and wildlife up to when colonials came to Africa. But Gedi proves that Africa was developed.

What if Gedi was not abandoned? that is the question we can ask ourselves. Many pieces of research have been made to find the reason why Gedi was left by its citizen, let consider if it was not abandoned. Gedi should have been a big city today with advanced technology, I believe. It should be an original African City with no considerable infiltration and footprint for the European civilisation, unlike today’s African cities.