The Shela (Friday) Mosque, Shela, Kenya

3D Model

The spatial documentation of the the Shela Mosque took place in 2006, using terrestrail laser-scanning.

Shela is a village about 3.2 km south of Lamu (town) and is especially known for the Friday mosque. The origin of the village is unknown, but according to tradition, it was settled by people from nearby Manda Island. In 1813, the elite of Pate Island, allied with the Mazrui clan from Oman, attempted to subjugate Lamu in the Battle of Shela. This attempt failed totally, and the defeat of Pate at Shela signalled the rise of Lamu as the leading power in the archipelago. Shela’s golden age was from 1829 to 1857, when 5 of its 6 mosques were constructed.