Scenic boat rides, ferocious insect bites, an epic beach view and outstanding evidence of ancient history pretty much sums up my visit to takwa ruins.
The settlement is evidence of life lived in the eighteenth century, roughly 1500-1700 and had a population of 2,500, a large population for it’s time, second only to Lamu.
Takwa is located on the south side of Manda Island, in the Lamu District, a coastal province of Kenya.
The small abandoned civilization is a must visit on the Island.
We like to think of ourselves as brilliant people and often times imagine we are better than the people who came years before us, but everything about takwa points to an intelligent settlement and a close look at the place reveals it was built purely on tactic and strategy.
views from outside the wall that was put up to protect the takwa people from their enemies.
The fact that it was developed on the narrowest part of the island complete with a pillar wall to wade off constant attacks from enemies like the Portuguese and the other perennial enemies from the pate tribe is mind-blowing.
The wall that was used to keep off enemies. It was built around the whole city even though most part of lies in ruins now
Inside one of the house was a complete kitchen, inclusive of a chimney as seen above and kitchen cabinets as seen in the photos below.
Takwa reeks of ancient history.
Standing inside that ancient kitchen did something to me. I imagined the people that lived there all those years ago (probably a male free zone) cooking for their families with all those exotic spices they used back then. Not going to lie, the visual was hypnotising. And we pride ourselves in being THE civilised ones, when our ancestors were building kitchens that withstood thousands of years. Yet, the buildings we live in would probably be wiped out in 500 years max.
The pillar tomb is said to have a sheikh buried underneath and turned somewhat into a shrine where inhabitants from shela village visit twice a year to pray for rains. Shela by the way is where the inhabitants of Takwa left to after their island became uninhabitable due to the water becoming saline and the tribal skirmishes between them and the pate tribe increased.
The pillar wall / tomb
The ancient mosque is the most preserved part and has definitely stood the test of time. The place where the Imam stayed to pray points to an intelligent people that built an ancient “microphone.” The small room is built in such a way that the sound is amplified for the whole settlement to hear.
Inside the mosque whose features have stood the test of time. This is where the Imam would pray from.
The inscription and wall arts of daggers and swords point to evidence of an Arabic influence, as does most of the East African coast. Which reminds me, we need to talk about The Lamu Museum and how it did not evoke the type of emotions I was expecting it would.
A 500 year old baobab tree. They have plenty of these bad asses within the ruins.
Wooden takwa bridge that connects you to the ruins
This bridge wasn’t a nice experience though 🙁 ….. First of all, it’s very shaky and even the guide tells you to be careful not to topple over. Then the worse part – it has tiny insects that sting like fire. My pal got stung and screamed like hell was breaking loose. While wondering what just happened,.someone else started crying in the background like a small baby. Chaos, is what those insects should be called. Our guide however told us they are called Usubi and while at the bridge you definitely should watch out for them.
See More photos of the abandoned settlement below
Finally it was time to head back to Manda Island but we had to make a quick stop at Shela village because everyone was starving. Shela is spectacular especially during sunsets, with the seats put out by the shore, snacking on sea food as the waves quietly do their thing.
As usual, the speed boat ride back was the highlight of the trip for me, roaring away in the wee hours of the night as the water unapologetically splashes on your face.
