Official Name: | Old Town |
Pushpin Map: | Kenya |
Mapsize: | 200px |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Kenya |
Subdivision Type1: | County |
Subdivision Name1: | Mombasa County |
Subdivision Type2: | Constituency |
Subdivision Name2: | Mvita Constituency |
Timezone: | EAT |
Utc Offset: | +3 |
Coordinates: | -4.0589°N 39.6764°W |
Old Town is an area of Mombasa, Kenya. Situated on the south-east side of Mombasa Island, the Old Town covers an area of 72ha, and is inhabited by a mix of Swahili, Arab, Asian, Portuguese and British settlers.
In 1997, the Old Town and Fort Jesus were submitted by the National Museums of Kenya for selection in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.
The area is located to the east of Mombasa Island, adjacent to Tudor Creek.
Buildings in the Old Town are mostly Swahili, however, the many other ones are influenced by Mombasa's trade culture and foreign occupation, with many examples of colonial Portuguese styles from the 16th century and modern Islamic architecture.
See main article: Fort Jesus. The Portuguese Fort Jesus is located in the Old Town, and is Mombasa's most popular tourist attraction.