Baitil Aman Guest House - Lamu Hotels, Coast Hotels and Lodges

Address:

Kenya

Description:

Baitil Aman Guest House was built in the eighteenth century by Hajj Abdalla as a gift for his bride, the beautiful Binti Luali of the Shella clan, the youngest and loveliest of her father Bin Jmaa’s ten children. Binti Luali was spoiled by her parents who loved her deeply. When it came time for her to be married, Hajj Abdalla went to ask her parents for their permission. They knew how much they would miss their daughter if she married and went away, so they decided to ask a very high price as her dowry in the hopes of disappointing her suitor and keeping their beloved child. They asked for a full drum of money as her dowry, but Hajj Abdalla loved Binti Luali very much. He bought the plot of land on which this house now stands and built a mosque, known as msikiti wa Kindoro, and a palace, surrounded by gardens. As soon as he had finished it, however, the building collapsed in the night. Hajj Abdalla was very rich and had many servants, so with their help, he rebuilt the entire palace in a matter of days. Hajj Abdalla then sent one of his servants, Hajibiki, to Binti Luali’s family carrying the drum of money they had requested as her dowry. Hajibiki stood before them, her shoes decorated with silver string known as bulibuli, and presented Binti Luali with the title deeds to the palace as a gift from Hajj Abdalla, all the time singing a song from the groom to his intended bride. In 1999, Sidiki Abdulrehman from the Timimi family, who is the son-in-law of Mohammed Salim Bahsan, began a seven-year project of restoration and renovation. He changed the landmark from a royal family house to a simple Guest House and named it Baitil Aman, which means ‘the house of peace.’

Children: 17 and under