World Heritage Update

Do you remember i touched upon “what to do in Mombasa” in my blog “There’s more to Mombasa than its beaches“…. well good news has followed with Fort Jesus, Mombasa’s most popular tourist attraction being added to the Unesco’s World Heritage List. The Fort has been considered with having outstanding universal value and joining the 936 properties which form this list.  Fort Jesus was built by the Portuguese from 1593-1596 to the designs of Giovanni Battista Cairati to protect the port of Mombasa. The fort’s layout and form reflect the Renaissance ideal that perfect proportions and geometric harmony are to be found in the human body. The property covers an area of 236 hectares and includes the fort’s moat and immediate surroundings.

The Kenya Lake System also joins the Fort in this list and amazingly comprises three interlinked relatively shallow lakes (Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Elementaita) covering a total area of 32 000 hectares. The property is home to 13 globally threatened bird species and is the single most important foraging site in the world for the lesser flamingo, and a major nesting and breeding ground for Great White pelicans. It also features sizeable mammal populations, including Rothschild’s Giraffe, Black rhino, Lion, Cheetah and Wild Dog.