Originally situated on the waterfront, the fort today is located in a central position in the town, about 70 metres (230 ft) from the main jetty on the shore.

Initially it provided a base from which the Omanis consolidated their control of the East African coast but the town later lost its economic importance.

[5] Thomas Boteler, who visited Lamu in 1823, described the fort as "a large square building, with a tower at each corner, but constructed so slightly that in all probability the discharge of its honeycombed ordnance would soon bring the whole fabric to the ground."

[6] Captain W. F. W. Owen, who visited at the same time, noted that the fort was "one hundred yards square, and surrounded by walls from forty to fifty feet high.

[3] According to Boteler, the main guard consisted of "about twenty Muscat soldiers, lounging on the stone benches on either side, with eye intent on vacancy, and armed with their shields, swords and pikes.

[13] The Sultan used Lamu Fort as a base for defeating the Mazrui rebels in Mombasa, and for establishing control over the East African coast.

[17] The fort today includes a museum with an exhibition on the ground floor mainly concerned with environmental conservation.

[3] The fort houses a library[18] with an excellent collection of Swahili poetry and reference material on Lamu.

[25] 3D models, plans and images can be view here Notes Citations Sources Media related to Lamu Fort at Wikimedia Commons