Vasco da Gama Pillar
| Coordinates | 3°13′26″S 40°07′47″E / 3.22395°S 40.12965°E |
|---|---|
| Location | Malindi, Kilifi County, Kenya |
| Completion date | 1498 or 1499 |
The Vasco da Gama Pillar in Malindi, Kenya, was erected by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. It was constructed in 1498 or 1499 during his pioneering expedition from Lisbon to India via the Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499).
History
Vasco da Gama visited Malindi from 15 to 24 April 1498. He was well received by the sultan of Malindi and was provided with food, fresh water and a pilot to take the trip across the Indian Ocean to Calicut (modern-day Kozhikode).[1] During the voyage, the explorer was allowed to erect a pillar, which included a cross made of Portuguese limestone. Most historians suggest that this happened on his return from India in 1499.[2] The pillar in Malindi is the only one, which erected along the coast of Africa by the Portuguese and survived in its original form.[3]
In modern times
The pillar today is Malindi's most visited heritage site. Restoration work carried out since 2020 has included repairs of the existing seawalls and the pillar itself, the construction of a access route and washrooms for visitors.[4] Access to the pillar is subject to an entry ticket.
Gallery
In popular culture
- Kenyan stamps of 1998 celebrated the quincentenary of Vasco da Gama's visit.[5] One of the stamps showcased the pillar in an painter's impression that gave the pillar the traditional thin-column elevation rather than the conical form of the reinforced pillar and the massive cross visible today.
- Vasco da Gama Pillar described and repeatedly mentioned in the novels “Once in Malindi”[6] and “Our Wild Sex in Malindi”[7] (by Andrei Gusev). The novels describe a few years living in Malindi of Russian writer Andy and his wife Jennifer, who was born in Kenya.[8][9]
Related pages
References
- ↑ Felipe Fernández-Armesto, Pathfinders: a Global History of Exploration (2006), pp.178-180
- ↑ J. S. Kirkman (ed.), The Portuguese Period in East Africa by Justus Strandes (Nairobi, 1961), p. 28.
- ↑ 'Vasco da Gama Pillar', National Museums of Kenya website (accessed 19 July 2023)
- ↑ 'Malindi Vasco Dagama Pillar gets Ksh.59M for facelift' KBC News (23 June 2023)
- ↑ 'Anniversary of first visit by Portuguese ships to Malindi' (Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, 1998)
- ↑ “Once in Malindi” Archived 2020-10-16 at the Wayback Machine — on Proza.ru, 2021 (in Russian)
- ↑ “Our Wild Sex in Malindi” by Andrei Gusev, 2020 (in Russian). Archived 2020-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Review of "Our Wild Sex in Malindi" Archived 2020-08-04 at the Wayback Machine — on the site of public fund "Union of writers of Moscow", 2020 (in Russian)
- ↑ Review of "Once in Malindi" Archived 2021-12-22 at the Wayback Machine — on the site of public fund "Union of writers of Moscow", 2021 (in Russian)