The brightest and best-known landmark of Mombasa, except for its national parks, is Fort Jesus: an ancient fortress of an unusual shape built by the Portuguese in 1593.

When the European colonialists came to Mombasa, they were faced with several problems. The main one was the constant Turkish raids and militant local African tribes. There was a need for reliable fortifications where the Europeans could wait through a siege and resist the enemy.

This is why the big fortress was built. The Italian architect, Joao Batista Cairato, had studied the territory of the city thoroughly for a few months before he chose the most suitable location for the fort. On the one hand, his decision was right, instead of being just a fortification construction, the fort also served as a convenient harbor on the Eastern Shore of the continent. On the other hand, such a great location of Forte Jesus de Mombaça was the reason for constant fighting between the Portuguese and the Arabs who desired to possess that advantageous and efficient fortification. Fort Jesus has survived 10 severe sieges, one of which lasted for nearly 3 years. After challenges like that, the walls of the fortress and buildings on the territory of the fortress had to be restored.

In 1875, Fort Jesus was taken by the British and located a prison there.

Even though the fortress was many times rebuilt, its original layout has remained the same.  You can still see the cells for slaves, storage rooms for weapons and ammunition, torture chambers, and even churches and chapels.

Nowadays, there is a national historical museum inside the fortress. Besides the collection of war artifacts that tell about the fightings on this territory and the people who took part in them. There are also exhibits related to culture: local household objects, jewelry, little sculptures, ancient books, and manuscripts. And the most popular among guests are fragments of Portuguese warships, which are more than 300 years old.