Editing Fort Jesus (section)

==Overview==
Between 1631 and 1875, the fort was won and lost nine times by the nations contesting control of Kenya. The Omanis took the fort in 1698 after a [[Siege of Fort Jesus|notable siege]] of almost three years. It was declared a historical monument in 1958. Today it houses a museum.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mwakio |first=Philip |title=Mombasa’s Fort Jesus could soon fall into the sea, warns agency |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000171688/fort-jesus-could-soon-fall-into-the-sea-warns-agency |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref>

The fort was designed by a [[Duchy of Milan|Milanese]] architect, [[:pt:Giovanni Battista Cairati|Giovanni Battista Cairati]], who was the Chief Architect for Portuguese possessions in the East. It was the first European-style fort constructed outside of [[Europe]] designed to resist [[cannon]] fire.<ref>Gilbert, Erik, and Jonathan T. Reynolds. ''Africa in World History: From Prehistory to Present.'' New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2008, p. 225</ref> Today, it is one of the finest examples of 16th-century Portuguese military architecture, which has been influenced and changed by both the [[Omani]] Arabs and the British.<ref name="autogenerated1974">Kirkman, J. 1974. ''Fort Jesus: A Portuguese Fortress on the East African Coast'' Clarendon Press: Oxford</ref>
The fort quickly became a vital possession for anyone with the intention of controlling [[Mombasa]] Island or the surrounding areas of trade. When the British [[East Africa Protectorate|colonized Kenya]], they used it as a prison, until 1958, when they converted it into a historical [[monument]]. James Kirkman was then assigned to excavate the monument, which he did (with a large use of external historical documents) from 1958 to 1971.<ref name="autogenerated1974"/>

The architecture of the fort represents the rough outline of a person lying on their back, with their head towards the sea. The height of the walls is 18 meters. The original Portuguese fort had a height of 15 meters, but the Oman Arabs added 3 meters upon capturing the fort.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Onjoro |first=Veronica N. |title=IN MY TOWN FORT JESUS MOMBASA |url=https://www.academia.edu/13707826/IN_MY_TOWN_FORT_JESUS_MOMBASA}}</ref>

The fort combines Portuguese, Arab, and British elements (these being the major powers that held it at different times in history). The Portuguese and British presence is preserved in the presence of their respective cannons. The Portuguese cannons had a range of 200 meters and were longer than the British cannons, which had a range of 300 meters. Oman Arabs marked their occupancy with numerous inscriptions from the Koran on the wooden door posts and ceiling beams. The [[Five Pillars of Islam|Muslim tradition of five pillars]] is also portrayed throughout the fort, with a former meeting hall supported by five stone pillars to the ceiling.

Some of the historical structures still standing in the fort include Oman House, which was the house of the sultan who governed the East African coast. Others are an open water cistern by the Portuguese for harvesting rainwater, and a 76-foot deep well sunk by the Arabs (but its water was too salty to be used for anything but washing).

The fort was declared a World Heritage site by [[UNESCO]] in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-17 |title=UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kenya {{!}} TripLegend |url=https://triplegend.com/en/magazine/unesco-worldheritage-kenia |access-date=2023-09-04 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=The story of Fort Jesus - UNESCO & KTB |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ8I-kmR_Oo |access-date=2023-09-04 |language=en}}</ref>