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Baytil Ajaib - Lamu House
The Lamu Experience And An Eleven-Year Restoration Of Baytil Ajaib House in Lamu As Narrated By Paul Weaver, Proprietor
It seems many centuries ago that after a seemly long ride from Mombasa to Lamu, which thoroughly exhausted my vehicle capacity in time and comfort, we arrived somewhat dismayed, overwrought, over heated and over dusted to the dreamy island of Lamu. Little did we know that this small adventure was to be the beginning of a passion that would lead to the study of the construction of Traditional Stone Houses and among them Baytil Ajaib, part of one of the most sophisticated and beautiful cultures on the eastern coast of Africa. A three-day weekend turned into a two-week stay and the purchase of a near ruin of an old 18th century palatial town house.
My business partner and I were amazed at the building techniques used hundreds of years ago to build these remarkable palatial stone townhouses not to mention the size of the buildings. Unfortunately for us it became clear that the ancient techniques used in the past were no longer in possession of the inhabitants of the island. This situation led us to seek information concerning the properties and usage of lime, created from coral stone burnt at a very high temperature and mixed with various forms of sand in different ratios.
Traditional Stone Houses were built with coral stones held together with lime and sand and have stood the test of time for hundreds of years. Cement being a substance of rigidity prone to cracking, having almost no elasticity and a poor conductor of air was not used hundreds of years ago for obvious reasons. We were amazed at the benefits of constructing using the old techniques, which produced a much cooler building during the hot periods of the year and a warmer building during the rainy season. Lime, coral and sand permit the buildings to absorb a limited amount of rain which is necessary to re-enforce the lime to hold the coral rocks and sand together and at the same time permit the building to breath and possibly mend (on its own )any cracks that might have occurred in the building.
Having retired from my professional life as a banker, I decided to move to Lamu and busy myself with the restoration of Baytil Ajaib, wonderful building. To my great surprise lime has been used for centuries in many parts of the world, by the Egyptians, in India, the Italians are famous for their Stuccatore in the late 18th century. The research that followed on my behalf not only led to the rediscovery of the proper usage of lime in the restoration of these old buildings in Lamu but goes even further in proving not only is it financially cheaper but also ecologically sounder to construct in this manner. The understanding of the properties of lime has enriched our restoration techniques to the point that we are now able to produce decorated walls of various colors due to studied technique combinations of marble dust and lime.
Other overwhelming aspects of these beautiful homes are the spaciousness of this gracious living. Some of the Baytil Ajaib suites are over 120sqm in size opening up on private courtyard commanding the entire etage. Walls and columns that grace ceilings covered in mwangati wood (a very hardwood that comes from close to the Somalia border) painted red, black and inlaid in white lime at a height of no less than 4 meters only adds to the once upon a time splendor that reigned. Palm trees growing out of houses, apartments supported by columns opening on to private courtyards, decorated walls of exquisite stuccato lavoro in beautiful white plaster of marble dust and lime, apartments furnished in original antiques of that époque, not to mention that all courtyards and private verandas are open to sun, weather, and different birds at certain times of the day giving one the feeling of being outside while the contrary prevails is a marvel of construction and nature at it's best. Man is a combination of himself and his surrounding nature! His mental and spiritual state depends on a balance of the two. Baytil Ajaib and homes like these were created for this balance hundred of years ago and it is with great joy that we wish to share this with others. Now more than ever our western societies are seeking different avenues to regain a proper mental and spiritual balance to our lives and hopefully Baytil Ajaib can serve as one of these avenues.
Relaxation Experience and Activities Baytil Ajaib House Lamu Located on Lamu Island, as an Indian Ocean Island Beach Accommodation in Kenya
• Lamu cultural tour.
• Fishing on the channel
• Historical tour of Lamu
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