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In Kenya tourism, the Coast is among the top travel destinations, with a wide array of tourist attractions. The mysterious Gedi ruins are one such Coastal attraction. The ruins lie about 15km south of Malindi and 100km north of Mombasa in the Kenyan coast. These remnants of the ancient town of Gedi are found deep in the Arabuko Sokoke forest, and are one of Kenya’s greatest unexplored treasures.

Little is known of Gedi, with archaeologists and historians remaining puzzled, but it is believed the town was was abandoned in the early 17th century. Although the exact reason as to why the town was deserted is not documented, a school of though has it that the town was destroyed by unknown invaders in the 17th century. This theory is highly disputed among researchers as there are no signs of battle or disturbance in this once complex Swahili settlement (about 45 acres) whose population was about 2500.

Another school of thought argues that the inhabitants of the town abandoned it after receding ocean waters depleted the available water from their wells. It is also alleged that the Portuguese brought the deadly Black Plague, with no known cure, wiping out the population.

One more recent theory believes that Gedi townspeople fled from an imminent arrival of the Galla, an inland tribe known to have been very hostile. Recorded history however does not mention any such large scale evacuation at around that time.

Gedi was declared a historic monument in 1927 and much excavation and preservation work was carried out revealing large areas of this ancient town, including the pillar tombs, the palace and a great mosque. But despite the extensive research and exploration, nobody is really sure of what happened to the town of Gedi and its inhabitants.

Excavation and exploration works in Gedi ruins carried between 1948 and 1958 discovered such items as Spanish scissors, an Indian lamp, Venetian beads, China porcelain among others. These are probably evidence that past Gedi residents engaged in some form of international trade.

In 1948, the Kenya government declared Gedi ruins a national park. The area has since become one of the top tourist attractions in the Kenya coast. With its pillars and stone walls, and ruined mosques and tombs in the midst of trees, Gedi ruins still remain a mysterious place to visit.

Gedi remains an oasis of tranquility to date, though surrounded by modern day villages. The ruins are overgrown with plants and flowers. Getting to Gedi is easy from Mombasa, Malindi, or Watamu. A small museum in the area displays ancient artifacts retrieved through excavation works. These include Arab wares, Chinese porcelain, and Phoenician artifacts. More Gede ruins artifacts are also displayed at the Fort Jesus museum in Mombasa.