Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya, situated along the Indian Ocean, and is Kenya's oldest city — with roots dating to approximately 900 A.D. — and its second-largest, with a population of roughly 1,208,333 according to the 2019 census. The city served as the first capital of British East Africa before Nairobi assumed that role in 1907, and its strategic harbor made it a crossroads of Arab, Portuguese, German, and British imperial ambitions over the centuries. Today it functions as the capital of Mombasa County, a bustling port hub and tourism destination whose Central Business District buildings are painted blue and white in reference to the Indian Ocean. In the late 19th century, Mombasa was the eastern terminus of the ambitious Uganda Railway project, which aimed to lay 660 miles of track connecting the coast to the shores of Lake Victoria — a story that brought Colonel John Henry Patterson here in 1898 and, more than a century later, brought Josh Gates. Gates visited Mombasa while retracing Patterson's footsteps at the outset of the man-eating lions investigation, exploring the city by tuk-tuk and making his way to the historic railway station.
Mombasa established as a trading settlement on the East African coast; mentioned by Arab geographer al-Idrisi by 1151
Mombasa becomes part of the Kilwa Sultanate
The Mnara mosque, the oldest stone mosque in Mombasa, is built
The Mandhry Mosque is constructed, featuring a minaret with a regionally distinctive ogee arch
Mombasa comes under the control of the Omani Empire
Colonel John Henry Patterson arrives at Mombasa harbor to oversee Uganda Railway construction; two man-eating lions begin terrorizing the railhead camps
Nairobi replaces Mombasa as the capital of British East Africa
Josh Gates visits Mombasa while filming Expedition Unknown S15E02, 'The Man-Eating Lions of Kenya'
Mombasa's significance as a historical trading hub is well-documented by mainstream historians and archaeologists. The city's founding is placed at approximately 900 A.D. in Kenyan historical scholarship, and Arab geographer al-Idrisi's reference to it in 1151 confirms it was already a prosperous trading town by the 12th century. Its position on the Indian Ocean made it a node in far-reaching maritime trade networks, with key exports including ivory, millet, sesamum, and coconuts.
The city's colonial-era importance is equally well-established. As the first capital of British East Africa, Mombasa was the administrative and commercial heart of a vast imperial project. The Uganda Railway — sometimes called the 'Lunatic Express' by critics in the British Parliament who questioned its cost — was one of the most audacious infrastructure undertakings of the late Victorian era, intended to give Britain control of the Nile headwaters and access to the African interior. The human cost was considerable: the 36,000 Indian workers who formed the backbone of the labor force faced malaria, harsh terrain, and, as the episode explores, the extraordinary threat of predatory lions at the Tsavo railhead.
The broader story of Mombasa's layered history — from the Kilwa Sultanate and Portuguese occupation to Omani rule and British colonialism — remains an active area of historical study, particularly regarding the city's role in the East African slave trade and the ivory economy of the pre-colonial period. The oldest stone mosque in the city, the Mnara, dates to approximately 1300, offering a tangible material link to those earlier centuries.
Gates' episode does not investigate Mombasa itself as an archaeological mystery, but rather uses the city as a historically grounded entry point into the wider Patterson and man-eating lions story. By anchoring the narrative in Patterson's own words and retracing his literal arrival route, the episode situates the Tsavo lion attacks within their proper colonial-era context, presenting Mombasa as the place where one of East Africa's most extraordinary true stories began.
Mombasa is Kenya's oldest city, with roots dating to approximately 900 A.D., making it centuries older than the country's current capital, Nairobi.
The Uganda Railway that began at Mombasa required laying 660 miles of track and was secured by more than four million riveted bolts, according to Gates' on-camera account.
The buildings in Mombasa's Central Business District are painted blue and white as a reference to the Indian Ocean that defines the city's geography and identity.
The Mandhry Mosque, built in 1570, features a minaret containing a regionally specific ogee arch — a distinctive architectural detail that reflects the city's multicultural Islamic heritage.
Arab geographer al-Idrisi mentioned Mombasa as a prosperous trading town as early as 1151, centuries before European contact with the East African coast.
Mombasa is generally accessible to international visitors via Moi International Airport and is a well-established tourism destination with hotels, ferries, and public transport connecting the island to the mainland. The historic Old Town district, the 16th-century Fort Jesus (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the railway station are among the sites visitors typically explore. Travelers should check current local advisories and entry requirements before visiting.
Mombasa is itself the nearest major city; Nairobi is approximately 490 kilometers (305 miles) to the northwest.
The dry seasons — January to March and July to October — are generally considered the most comfortable times to visit Mombasa, with lower humidity and reduced rainfall. The long rains typically fall from April to June, and the short rains in November and December.
Tsavo, Kenya
Tsavo, Kenya is the primary investigation site in S15E02 — where the man-eating lions terrorized Patterson's railway camps, the direct destination of Gates' journey from Mombasa.
Tsavo River
The Tsavo River runs through the region where the lion attacks took place and was a central geographical feature of Patterson's 1898 construction campaign that began at Mombasa.
Voi
Voi is a town in the Tsavo region and appears in connection with the Uganda Railway story that Gates follows from the coast into the Kenyan interior.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia