Lamu and the Swahili Coast
Geography, Economy and culture
In Lamu, the climate is tropical so much of the cooking is done outdoors.
The cats of Lamu are famous for traveling in prides like lions. Some believe that the Lamu cats have a genetic link to cats of the Ancient Egyptians….what do you think? See a resemblance?
Ancient Egyptian cat statue
Some photos by Erika Guckenberger
Think about your town or community. What are the important elements of the place and culture there?
Once you have had a minute to process, put two examples in the chat.
Connecting the global sweep of history with its local impact
Lamu, Kenya on the Swahili Coast of East Africa
Questions to explore:
How does geography affect culture?
How do historic patterns impact the present?
African Giraffe in China 1414
Cloves and nutmeg grow only on tiny islands near here.
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Kenya’s capital: Nairobi c. 4.5 million
Lamu, Kenya:
About 30,000 people
Lamu
1370: city established
1506: Portuguese rule
1652: “Golden Age” kick out Portuguese with help from Oman
1890-1960: British rule
1960s- Kenya independent, Lamu is far from capital, Nairobi
Basic Timeline:
Closer view of Lamu’s narrow streets and businesses.
What do you notice about the houses and streets?
When you get up close, you see Lamu Town is on an island - surrounded by rivers and the Indian Ocean.
A boatload of Coca Cola coming from the mainland
The town of Lamu is circled in red.
There is a clear break between the town and the fields that make up most of the rest of the island.
There is one road, and almost no cars. Donkeys and mopeds are more practical...the streets are too narrow.
dhows
The first things you might notice in Lamu….
dhows
doors
donkeys
The Lateen Sail
fishermen in dhows returning with the day’s catch- within minutes a crowd gathered and bartering over the price of fish began.
The triangular lateen sail allowed sailors to tack closer to the wind.
Indians, Arabs and African sailors used this technology on the Indian Ocean trade.
When Europeans added the lateen sail to their traditional square sails they created ships that could sail the much rougher Atlantic Ocean.
Lamu’s Historic Exports
Examining an area’s exports can show strong links not just to the region’s economy but to the its geography and local climate
Historic Trade:
Mangroves
Ivory
Rhino horn
Hippo teeth
Shark fin
Cowry shells
Coconut
Cotton
Mangoes
Tamarine
Sesame seed
Charcoal
Cashews- Native American crop introduced by Portuguese around 1550
Beche le mer (sea cucumbers)
Turtle shells
Rubber(early 20th century)
Sorghum
Slave Trade - In East Africa enslaved peoples from the interior or the Comoros Island were used as servants, soldiers, guards, craftsmen, sailors, dockers, pearl divers, concubines
Geography influences food and language
Translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
What do you notice about Swahili food? How might it be connected to geography?
Swahili spoken by over 100 million. Most of whom would not consider themselves Swahili -- it became a trading language and a language of colonial administration.
kiSwahili:
Bantu based language
with Arabic,Indian and Persian vocabulary
Geography and climate….economy and architecture:
Geography: Mangrove wood
Great Mosque in Cordoba
Swahili house plan
Geography and climate….economy and architecture:
Geograph: Coral Stone
Historic bathroom
Lamu - like much of the East African coast is built on ancient coral reefs.
Trade brings cultural exchange- Islam quickly became a part of Swahili identity.
Why is this sign in English? What does the A.H. stand for?
How old do you think this mosque is? What is it made of?
New baby is born and owls are bad luck
Islam on the Swahili coast is a unique blend of local and international influences
Islam spreads throughout Arabia around the 650s, by the 700s it is in East Africa
Islam influences culture...
Festival in Lamu - what do you notice about this image?
Buibui culture…
continuity and change
Lamu- 1980s
Lamu- young teachers 2000s
Mombasa early 2000s
Buibui today
Indoor clothes
Sanchoka- Tanzanian celebrity
How do you decide what to wear? What types of things do you consider?
Wazazi ni dhahabu kuwatunza ni thawabu— Parents are gold; to take care of them is a blessing
There are many ways to use a kanga, many designs, and many messages
message
Paisley and border
Kangas and trade
Penzi la mama tamu, haliishi hamu-Mother's love is so sweet that you never have enough of it//
Paisley- design from India, used all over
Western Dress
Sewing the Kofia -traditionally each region had their own designs
Kanzu
Kikoi/Kikoy
Kofia
Religious private school
Various public schools
Education in Lamu and the coast.
How do geography, climate and history impact education
Lamu’s geography continues to influence its economy
Protesters in Lamu opposed to the building of a Chinese backed coal company near their town. Kenyan courts have sided in their favor for now.
How have geography and historical processes influenced our own town?
Think about the language, dress, food, architecture, animals, religions, transportation...present in our town.
What did we borrow? What did we blend? What makes us who we are?