Historic Mosques in Lamu

The Iconic Riyadha Mosque & Islamic Centre

The southern side of Lamu Town has a series of celebrated mosques, but none, perhaps, is as important and famous as the Masjid Riyadha, recognizable by its roof-ring of yellow and dash of Islamic-green on its foyer. The importance of Lamu as a Swahili centre dates back hundreds of years, but it is since the 19th century that its ascendancy as an Islamic centre for Eastern and Central Africa was at full stride. Riyadha’s preeminence, vaunted for the quality of the programming as a religious hub, was put under the limelight by Habib Swaleh, the descendant of the Prophet Mohammed who first visited the island in 1885, from Comoros,

Swaleh helped transform the Islamic faith and engender festivals, notably of the Maulidi Festival held annually in and around the Masjid. Sufism plays a salient role in the elaboration of the Maulidi in the Lamu Archipelago, and contributes to its colourful character. The Lamu Muslim brotherhood, known as Alawiyya, takes the lead in the festival celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the founder of the world religion of Islam. The events follow the lunar calendar, and are often commemorated on a particular day within the week rather than an actual date. Bringing in visitors to Lamu by the hundreds each year, Maulidi is a popular expression of culture and piety. It emphasizes the rituals which shape the doctrine and analyze the meaning of the festival within the kindred Swahili folk.

Though jazzy, and vibrant in appearance, Maulidi, also known as Milad-un-Nabi, is a complex social phenomenon. Maulidi has many aspects which go beyond the guileless expression of religious faith, to the point of bringing into question the very nature of the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane. Religious manifestation of this heading can be hardly understood in its deepest significance unless it is accordingly subjected to the broadest possible social contexts! For Maulidi Festival celebrations, travellers come from as far away as Bara Tanzania (mainland), Europe, America, Zanzibar, Somalia, and the Saudi Arabian peninsula, as well as from many of the towns and villages along the coast of Kenya.

Taking place every year during the third month of the Muslim calendar (Rabi ul Awwal), it attracts thousands of Muslims from Kenya. The active participants come from the islands of the archipelago like Pate, Faza, Siyu and the Bajuni Islands. During the entire period of the Lamu Maulidi Festival, the Sufis repeatedly use dhikri – repeating the names of God, in a reference that’s not only to the celebration of the birth of the Prophet himself, but also to the celebration of the births of the founding saints of the order. Another aspect of the four-day Maulidi Festival is the culminating in heightened tension between the adherents and those opposed to it is, quite unorthodox, the interrogation of the permissibility of music.

In spite of the antipathy, the presence of musical instruments during the Maulidi Festival, and especially the iconic tambourines (matwari) and the drums (vigoma), have been there since Habib Swaleh introduced the festival in its present custom. It is to be noted here that a section of the Swahili people in the Lamu Archipelago have not subscribed to Habib Swaleh’s introduction of music during the festival. Unsurprisingly, it evokes a strong resistance, ergo this festival was not celebrated in early Islam, but only came into being later, the permissibility of its festivity was, and is every so often, disputed by the antagonistic group in the archipelago.

The festival has continued to become more confrontational as a new generation of Islamic scholars has developed. They are those who either studied in the Riyadha College or those who acquired brands of reformist doctrine during pilgrimage visits to the Middle Eastern institutes. The Riyadha Mosque Committee that organises the yearly Maulidi Festival has repeatedly objected to those who are impartial to the festival. They did this initially by censuring the opposers during preaching inside the mosque. They reiterated that the antagonism was infringing on what the Swahili people of the Lamu Archipelago have enjoyed over the years.

The above may make the aspect of its carnival sound like an anticlimax to a genuinely colourful festival. Quite the contrary, it should nudge the traveller to Maulidi to pause and consider the reasons and then the results of the success of Islam along Kenya’s coast. All the while it demanded little in the way of religious duties or rituals; but offered in return an enhanced social position, signified by the cap and gown, membership in a community and, not least, a paradise with palms and lots of attending hours. The iconic Masjid Riyadha is found near Lamu Fort.

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Islam first arrived in the coastal regions of Kenya through Arab and Persian traders, by the 8th century. At the prominent city-states such as Mombasa, Malindi, and Lamu that emerged along the Kenyan coast are many historic mosque from different eras. Islam in Kenya today represents a diverse and dynamic part of the country’s fabric, represented in beautiful mosque.

Index of Historic Mosques Around Kenya



Isiolo County - Isiolo Jamia Mosque, Kilifi County - The Great Mosque at Gede, Qubba Mosque, Kisumu County - The Arab, Nubian and Swahili Mosques, Kwale County - Kongo Mosque, Diani Mosque, Kirinyaga County - Mosque of Jesus Christ Son of Mary, Lamu County - Khoja Ithnasheri Mosque, Riyadha Mosque, Friday Mosque at Shela, Mombasa County - Badala Mosque, The Mandhry Mosque, Burhani Mosque, Musa Mosque, Muranga County - Mjini Mosque, Nairobi County - Khoja Mosque, Jamia Mosque, Ahmadiyya Mosque, Wajir County - The Noor Mosque, Eldas Jamia Mosque

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Lamu County is one of Kenya’s most unique and enchanting regions, known for its rich Swahili culture, pristine beaches, and UNESCO-listed heritage. Located on the northern coast of Kenya, it consists of a group of islands (Lamu, Manda, Pate, and Kiwayu) and a stretch of mainland coastline. Lamu Island in particular is more than just a destination—it’s a living piece of Swahili history and coastal paradise.

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A Guide to Lamu County



A Summa Digest of Lamu

About Lamu Way Back When

70 Destinations in Lamu County, arranged as one would visit these - west, south, north then west - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:

Delta Dunes Lodge, Lake Moa, Old Town Witu, Witu Forest Reserve, Pangani Swamp, Lake Kiboko, Amu Ranch, Lake Amu, Kipini Conservancy, Lake Kenyatta, Amu Baharini Beach, Kizuke Beach, Lamu (Manda) Port, Red Pepper House, Lamu Island, Matondoni Dau Workshop, Matondoni Ruins, Tusitiri Dhow, Kipungani Ruins, Kizingoni Beach, Old Town Lamu, Lamu World Heritage Sector, Lamu Museum, The Swahili House Museum, German Post Office Museum, Lamu Fort, Lamu Market, Masjid Khoja Ithnasheri, Masjid Riyadha, House of Habib Swaleh, The Mosque College Lamu, Lamu Catholic Church, Tamarind Tree Cafe, Donkey Sanctuary, The Floating Bar, Boat Rides, MaraRaha, Kijani Hotel, Shela Village, Friday Masjid, Forodhani House, Peponi Hotel, Shela Beach, Bahari Restaurant, Fort at Shela, Ras Kitau, Diamond Village, The Maljis, Takwa Ruins, Manda Island, Manda Lodge, Manda Toto, Manda Coral Quarry, Nabahani Ruins, Pate Island, Shanga Ruins, Siyu Fort, Shindamweh, Atu Ruins, Chundwa Ruins, Faza Village, Lamu Monuments, Mangrove Forests, Dodori National Reserve, Kiunga Marine N. Reserve, Kiwayu Island, Ashuwei, Boni Forest National Reserve, Ishakani Ruins, Lamu Festivals

Know More About Lamu County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments

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