Pate (Paté) Island is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. It is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga in the former Coast Province. The island is almost completely surrounded by mangroves.

The Nabhani dynasty, members of the Bani Nabhan family, also referred to as the Sultans of Sohar, were rulers of Oman from 1154 until 1624, when the Yaruba dynasty took power. One of their most visible legacies is the Bahla Fort, a large complex of mud brick buildings on stone foundations built from the 12th to the 15th century. It was registered in 1987 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.