GREAT MOSQUE, GEDI, KENYA

 GREAT MOSQUE, GEDI, KENYA

East façade of the mosque overlooking the well, the cistern 

and remains of stairway to the roof from the verandah. 

1. History of Great Mosque
2. Mihrab of Great Mosque
3. Courtyards of Great Mosque

KENYA'DAKİ DİĞER CAMİLER

History of Great Mosque at Gedi, Gedi, Kenya

East façade of the mosque overlooking the well, 

the cistern and remains of stairway to the roof from the verandah. 

The ruins of the fifteenth century town at Gedi, Kenya contain a well-preserved East African mosque. Archaeological findings date the first mosque structure to about 1450 and the subsequent revisions to about 1500 and 1550 respectively.

Mihrab of Great Mosque of Gedi, Kenya

Detail of rebated orders in the arch of the mihrab. 

The mihrab of is exemplary of an early type of coastal mihrab. Its façade was situated within a rectangular frame three bands thick.
The bands of this frame, the architrave, were constructed of sea coral carved in a herringbone cable pattern, though some of this ornament was plastered over at a later date.

Courtyards of Great Mosque at Gedi, Kenya

View of east doorway with broad-blade spear inset on the right and

a disintegrated siwa (side-blown horn) inset on the left 

The main access to the mosque was though its eastern façade and from a courtyard containing a well and a cistern at the north end, and an octagonal pillar tomb at the south end.