Lamu, at its current location, was established by the fourteenth century. It had already been settled, however, and travelers likely have known about it for 2000 years. 1505 brought a Portuguese warship to the island, and Lamu agreed to pay cash tributes in return for protection (i.e., for not sacking the town). Portuguese dominance of Lamu continued for 180 years, threatened only briefly by a Turkish fleet.

Lamu's golden age began at the end of the seventeenth century. The Portuguese were no longer in control (having been ousted by the Omanis), and Lamu flourished for the next 150 years. Ruled by the Yumbe (a council of elders), Lamu was controlled only loosely by the Omanis. Lamu became the star port of the Indian Ocean and a center of poetry, politics, arts and crafts as well as the trade which made it rich.

In 1812, however, Lamu defenders defeated an attacking force at the Battle of Shela. The invaders were massacred and the Yumbe of Lamu, fearing a bloody reprisal from the Mazruis in Mombasa, asked Oman for protection. The Sultan of Oman gladly occupied Lamu, permanently ending the island's independence. The Sultan then proceeded to destroy the Mazrui, who were Omanis and had declared themselves to be independent from Oman. The entire coast fell and the Sultanate was moved to Zanzibar.

Lamu went into a downward spiral towards the end of the nineteenth century as Mombasa and Zanzibar grew rapidly. Its eventual economic collapse resulted in the quiet, peaceful island that exists today.

Lamu, apart from being an island where rest and relaxation can be found to your heart's content, does have a few things to see. There is a small fort which dates back to 1821, having been completed by the Sultan of Oman after Lamu asked for protection. A second site is a fluted pillar tomb, which may date as far back as the 1300s. Lamu's other offering is the Lamu Museum, with exhibits on Swahili culture, the mainland's non-Swahili groups, and two siwa horns which are probably the oldest surviving musical instruments in black Africa. The exhibits explain the history and meaning of the items, allowing visitors to understand the rich culture that Lamu contains. There is even a description and history of the buibui, including the fact that it was only introduced in Lamu in the 1930s. Other attractions are found by simply looking around, with Lamu's beautiful carved doors being a prime example.

Just north of Lamu are the ancient ruins of Shanga, which adds its own bit of interesting history to Kenya's coast. The site covers 221 acres, and contains what remains of the coral walls of 160 houses, two palaces, three mosques, and hundreds of tombs. What is fascinating about Shanga is the local legend behind the name, which says that it was settled by Chinese traders from Shanghai - and so the name of Shanga. Supporting this theory are the facts that the words for tea - chai - is the same in Swahili and Mandarin and also that Chinese pottery has been found among the ruins. I have not read anything else about the site, but it fits in well with the coast's varied and often surprising history.