Lamu

Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. Situated 341 kilometres (212 mi) by road northeast of Mombasa that ends at Mokowe Jetty, from where the sea channel has to be crossed to reach Lamu Island. It is the headquarter of Lamu County and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lamu
Town
Lamu
Location within Kenya
Lamu
Location within the Horn of Africa
Lamu
Location within Africa
Coordinates: 2°16′10″S 40°54′8″E
Country Kenya
CountyLamu County
Founded1370
Population
 (2019)
  Total25,385
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Official nameLamu Old Town
CriteriaCultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)
Reference1055
Inscription2001 (25th Session)
Area15.6 ha (39 acres)
Buffer zone1,200 ha (3,000 acres)

The town contains the Lamu Fort on the seafront, constructed under Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr, the sultan of Pate, and was completed after his death in the early 1820s. Lamu is also home to 23 mosques, including the Riyadha Mosque, built in 1900, and a donkey sanctuary.

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