Designed by Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati in the shape of a man, Fort Jesus was commissioned by Portuguese King Philip I of Portugal in 1593 to guard the strategic Mombasa harbor and the Indian Ocean spice routes. Built from coral stone and lime, its 2.4m-thick walls bristle with cannon embrasures and bastions named after the four limbs of Christ. Over four turbulent centuries, the fort changed hands at least nine times: Portuguese, Omani Arab, Mazrui, Zanzibari, and British in turn. The 33-month Omani siege of 1696–1698 starved out the Portuguese garrison and shifted control of the entire East African coast. Today Fort Jesus is a museum administered by the National Museums of Kenya. Inside the walls you can climb to the cannon platforms for sweeping views over Mombasa Harbor, explore an excellent museum of Swahili, Portuguese, and Omani artifacts, and walk down to the natural rock pool where Captain Goa’s ship was wrecked. Listed by UNESCO in 2011 as ‘one of the most outstanding and well-preserved examples of 16th-century Portuguese military fortification,’ Fort Jesus is the essential first stop on any Mombasa heritage tour. The fort opens at 08:00; early arrivals enjoy soft morning light on the coral walls and cooler temperatures for the walk. Sound-and-light evening shows run on select dates.