Situated along Kenya's Indian Ocean seaboard, Mombasa's prime location and calm waters made this island a much coveted city. In Kiswahili the town earned the name Kisiwa Cha Mvita - the "Island of War" - because of the numerous forceful land grabs made over its long history. The influence of numerous cultures washing up on its shores, including the Portugese who built Fort Jesus in 1593.