Malindi

Malindi is a Swahili port on the East African coast, near the mouth of the Sabaki River. Its merchants traded with the African interior and across the Indian Ocean, while its rulers competed with other coastal towns for influence. The town's harbour and its connections to experienced navigators made it a valuable stopping place for vessels sailing between Africa and Asia.

In 1498 Vasco da Gama reached Malindi on his voyage to India and obtained assistance from its ruler. The Portuguese later established a trading base and a chapel in the town, making Malindi an important ally on a coast where their relations with neighbouring Mombasa were often hostile. A stone pillar overlooking the sea recalls the encounter between the Portuguese expedition and the established maritime world of the Swahili coast.