Vasco da Gama Pillar

What it is

This stone pillar, topped by a cross, was erected by Vasco da Gama's expedition in Malindi, on the coast of present-day Kenya, around 1498–1499. It commemorates da Gama's alliance with the Sultan of Malindi, who gave his fleet food, water, and a pilot who guided them across the Indian Ocean to Calicut. It is the only such Portuguese padrão to survive in its original location, and is now a Kenyan national monument.

Why it matters

The pillar is physical evidence of da Gama's voyage and of the diplomatic and practical alliances that made it possible. It also shows how the Portuguese marked their presence and claims along new coastlines with crosses bearing the royal coat of arms, and how this symbol of conquest and faith caused tension with local communities.

Look closer

• Why would da Gama's expedition carry pre-made pillars to set up in foreign lands?
• What does the pillar's survival for centuries tell us, and what does it leave out about the people who lived there?
• How might the Sultan of Malindi and da Gama have seen this pillar differently?