This archive report was first published on 5 November 2019.
Deep in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest, lies the Gedi Ruins, a 45-acre archaeological site that was once a thriving trade centre. The site, located near Watamu, 16 kilometres south of Malindi, was an important Swahili-Arab settlement that dates back to the early 12th century.
According to Mr Mbarak Abdulqadir, the Gedi NMK curator, the town was founded in the early 12th century and grew steadily, until it was abandoned for unclear reasons at the beginning of the 17th century. The site was discovered in 1884 by Sir John Kirk, a British resident of Zanzibar, but excavations did not begin until 1948, under the supervision of archaeologist James Kirkman.
The ruins still stand today, with finely crafted stone buildings, mosques, palaces, mansions, toilets, wells, and tombs. Among the important items excavated from the site and now on display are pottery, glass, beads, and coins, which provide evidence of the city's prosperity.
Each year, about 60,000 tourists visit the ruins for leisure, education, and prayers due to its rich archaeological value, the 500-year-old baobab trees, mosques, and tombs believed to have supernatural powers. The site also offers tourists an opportunity to admire about 250 species of butterflies at the Kipepeo Butterfly Project, which markets pupae farmed by the community living around the Arabuko Sokoke Forest.
Inside Kipepeo House, live butterflies hatched from pupae are exported and displayed in insect parks in Europe and America. In addition, tourists also have a chance to visit a snake park that contains pythons, cobras, green mambas, black mambas, and puff adders enclosed in cages and glass boxes.
Published on November 5, 2019, at 10:00 AM.
