Page 50 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 31

Tourism
Goodbyte Restaurant, opposite Malindi Airport, Malindi. Chioma Phillips after a meal. Photo: Samuel Phillips
Ndi which means “lot of wealth”.
The Arabs established the current Malindi in
the early 13th century. In 1414 the King of
Malindi initiated diplomatic relations with
China during the voyages of the Explorer
Zheng He.
The April 15, 1498 (the year 918 of the Arab
calendar) the Sheikh of Malindi, al-Bauri,
at war with Mombasa, welcomed the great
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who
anchored three ships in the port of Malindi:
São Gabriel, a caracca commanded by Vasco
himself, São Rafael under the command of
his brother Paulo and Berrio (later renamed
São Miguel) commanded by Nicolau Coelho.
It is said that Vasco da Gama never left São
Gabriel, a ship of about 200 tons with square
sails and large red crosses.
The following year the East African ports
WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM
50
| we tell the true afrikan story
were opened officially to Europe so the
Portuguese established a trading post. At
that time, the city was a wealthy Kingdom.
The residents mingled with Arabs who were
the ruling class and the city was surrounded
by walls. The Arabs lived inside the walls in
stone houses, while Africans lived mainly
in mud huts and trellises of canes with
palm-thatched roofs.
The economy consisted of agriculture
and trade with various ports in the Indian
Ocean. Near Malindi, there were large
fruit plantations (lemons, oranges),
coconut palms, sugar cane, vegetables, and
livestock. Slaves and ivory were exported.
The city was an important port in East
Africa.
In the early 16th century, the Portuguese
chose Malindi as a supply station for the
Portuguese ships, so they built their own