The pillar Vasco da Gama built

Built in 1498 amid Muslim resistance, Vasco da Gama pillar is one of the oldest European installations in Africa, writes JECKONIA OTIENO

Designed using ancient Portuguese architecture, the Vasco da Gama Pillar along the Kenyan coast in Malindi has stood the test of time and is one of the oldest tributes to history.

Did you know that the Vasco da Gama pillar, which stands majestically on a cliff, is the second one built by the seafarer — Vasco da Gama — in the same town?

The first pillar was erected near the Sultan’s palace.

Malindi, just like Mombasa and Lamu, is among the oldest towns in Kenya.

It was strategically placed as a sea route to traders to and from the East Coast of Africa.

Vasco da Gama arrived in Kenya in his endeavour to find a sea route to India.

He was welcomed cordially by the Sultan of Malindi who was then not on talking terms with the Sultan of Mombasa.

Tour guide Josephine Kinyamasyo says because Malindi was Muslim dominated, the Muslim and Christian animosity that reigned could not allow the pillar to stand.

Muslims demolished it because it had a cross, which was seen as encouraging Christianity.

Kinyamasyo says after the demolition of the initial pillar, Vasco da Gama explained to the sultan why the pillar was important and it was then that he was allowed to build the present one on the cliff where it stands.

Today, many visitors to the Coast just see it as a monument, but in real sense it was a landmark that could be seen from far off — more like a lighthouse with no lights at night.

Malindi lay to the west of the pillar while India was to the east.

It was visible to the Portuguese through their binoculars as they approached the sea.

The cross on top of the pillar faces the ocean and was an emblem signifying the route to India.

This antique was built about a century before Fort Jesus in Mombasa, making it one of the oldest European installations in East Africa.

During a tsunami that rocked the Indian Ocean in the recent past, the pillar was threatened, as the reef on which it is grounded was partly disintegrated.

This forced the marine department to place heavy blocks of stone in the water around the reef to break the strong waves.

If you visit the pillar, especially in the evenings, you will find couples whiling time away around it as they enjoy the warmth of the sea breeze.

Photographers have set base here to try and earn their daily bread by offering instant photo services to the visitors.

Some also use this spot as a fishing ground for leisure or sport.

Vasco da Gama Pillar’s together with Fort Jesus and Gede Ruins stand as monumental structures that define the beginning of colonial intrusion into Eastern Africa.

The National Museums of Kenya now manages the pillar and ensures it is protected for posterity.

The pillar is a relatively simple monument, but it means a lot to the history of Malindi, Kenya and Africa as a whole.