Kilifi
| Kilifi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic data | |||
| county | Kilifi County | ||
| Residents | 30,394 pop. | ||
| Telephone code | 041 | ||
| Coordinates | 3 ° 38 ′ S , 39 ° 51 ′ E | ||
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Kilifi is the capital of Kilifi County in Kenya with about 31,000 inhabitants. Kilifi is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean about 80 kilometers north of Mombasa .
Location and traffic
Kilifi is located on the north side of Kilifi Bay, which extends around 7 kilometers inland. Opposite on the south side of the bay is the place Mnarani . The longest Kenyan road bridge at 420 meters has been connecting both places since 1991. The B8 trunk road runs along the coast. Several times a day there are buses from Kilifi to Mombasa and Malindi , and twice a day there is a bus to Nairobi .
The now smaller town of Mnarani was a more important trading center than Kilifi during the time of the Portuguese trading establishments from the beginning of the 16th century. Raised above the bay on the northwestern edge of Mnarani are the Mnarani ruins, which consist of the remains of a Swahili settlement from the 14th century. The remains of the city wall, a well-preserved large mosque, a smaller mosque from the 16th century and various stone graves, including a large columned grave, are visible. Further ruins of trading posts that flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries are Kitoka, 3 kilometers south and Gedi further north.
Cashew nuts and sisal agaves are grown in the area around Kilifi .
Cityscape
In Kilifi there are several banks, a post office, a gas station, markets, restaurants and shops. The special location on the bay and on a long sandy beach by the sea make Kilifi a tourist destination that includes a number of hotels and a marina. The city has Kilifi District Hospital , several schools, and Pwani University College.
sons and daughters of the town
- Sabrina Simader (* 1998), Kenyan-Austrian ski racer
Web links
- Mnarani ruins on the homepage of the National Museums of Kenya
Individual evidence
- ↑ James Kirkman: Mnarani of Kilifi: The Mosques and Tombs. In: Ars Orientalis, Vol. 3, 1959, pp. 95-112