Fort Jesus, Mombasa

Guarding the harbour entrance at Mombasa, Fort Jesus was raised by the Portuguese between 1593 and 1596 to a design by the Milanese architect Giovanni Battista Cairati — its plan famously echoing the proportions of a human figure, in keeping with Renaissance ideals. The fort changed hands repeatedly as Omani and Portuguese forces fought for the Swahili coast, absorbing sieges that shaped East African history. UNESCO inscribed it in 2011 as an outstanding survivor of 16th-century military architecture.