Mombasa has the distinction of being one of the oldest settlements in East Africa.

A town has existed on the island for over 700 years and some proof exists that would date Mombasa long before that.

Stories exist from as early as the 12th century, but the arrival of Vasco de Gama in 1498 started everything rolling. After a brief and seemingly amiable meeting, de Gama was not allowed to enter the port. He left after a few days and went to Malindi, where he was greeted with open arms.

The Portuguese showed up again in 1505 and took the town. The fighting took the lives of 1513 Mombasa defenders and 5 Portuguese attackers. After looting Mombasa and setting it on fire, they left and did not return for 15 years. The Portuguese looted the town again in 1528 and twice more in the 1580s. Two years after the last attack, Mombasa went on the offensive and attempted to conquer Malindi. The Mombasa attackers were massacred and the town fell shortly thereafter in a counter attack by Malindi, which turned Mombasa over to the Portuguese.

The Portuguese began construction on Fort Jesus, which was finished in 1593