Mombasa’s Elephant Tusks, Pembe za Ndovu in Swahili, were erected in 1952 to commemorate the visit of Princess Elizabeth, who became Queen on the same trip. Made of polished aluminum and arching gracefully across Moi Avenue, the four tusks form a giant ‘M’ that has become the visual shorthand for Mombasa city. Despite popular myth, they are not real ivory. The lightweight aluminum construction was a deliberate symbol of post-war modernity; the M shape is widely (if not formally) read as standing for Mombasa. The tusks straddle one of the busiest sections of Moi Avenue, the city’s main commercial spine running from the railway station down toward the Likoni Ferry. Walking under them is a Mombasa rite of passage. The best photographs are taken from the central median (with care for traffic) early morning or in the warm light just before sunset. Lighting is added at night for a softer, atmospheric portrait. Skynile includes the Tusks on every standard Mombasa city tour, paired with adjacent stops at Mama Ngina Waterfront, Old Town and Fort Jesus.