Kilwa Kisiwani (English: ''Kilwa Island'') is an island, national historic site, and
hamlet community located in the township of
Kilwa Masoko
Kilwa Masoko or Masoko is an administrative ward in Kilwa District of Lindi Region in Tanzania.
The ward covers an area of , and has an average elevation of . The ward is also the capital of Kilwa District. According to the 2012 census, the ward ...
, the district seat of
Kilwa District in the Tanzanian region of
Lindi Region
Lindi Region (''Mkoa wa Lindi'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of . The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Sri Lanka. The regional capital is the m ...
in southern
Tanzania. Kilwa Kisiwani is the largest of the nine hamlets in the town Kilwa Masoko and is also the least populated hamlet in the township with less than 1,000 residents. At its peak Kilwa hosted over 10,000 inhabitants in the Middle Ages. Since 1981 the entire island of Kilwa Kisiwani has been designated by
UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site along with the nearby ruins of
Songo Mnara. Despite its significant historic reputation, Kilwa Kisiwani is still home to a small and resilient community of native residents that have inhabited the island for centuries. Kilwa Kisiwani is one of the seven
World Heritage Sites located in Tanzania.
Additionally, the site is a registered
National Historic Site.
Geography
Kilwa Kisiwani Island lies exactly at 9 degrees south of the equator. The island is in circumference with the total land area is . On the west part of the Island is the
Mavuji River
Mavuji River is located in entirely in Kilwa District of Lindi Region, Tanzania. It begins in Nanjirinji ward and drains on the Indian Ocean on the shore of Mandawa
Mandawa is a town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India. It is part ...
estuary. On the south part of the Island lies the Sagarungu sound and to the east lies the
Indian Ocean.
Economy

The island is located with the Kilwa Masoko township authority. The main economic activities on the island are
Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism is a type of tourism activity in which the visitor's essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural attractions/products in a tourism destination. These attractions/produ ...
, fishing and
subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...
. Economic growth is limited due to limited accessibility to the island. The island has no rivers and the main source for water is wells. Many of the island's freshwater wells have been used for over a millennium. The island is served by small boats to and from the port at Kilwa Masoko. The island's only electricity is solar based and low capacity. There are no roads on the island thus most transport is on foot or by motorcycle.
To protect the historic integrity of the Island, non-island residents are strictly prohibited from visiting the island without a visitor's permit from the tourist information center in downtown Kilwa Masoko. Much of the historical artifacts and buildings on the island are yet to be unearthed.
Historical Significance of Kilwa Island
Kilwa Kisiwani is also an archaeological
Swahili
Swahili may refer to:
* Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes
* Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa
* Swahili culture
Swahili culture is the culture of ...
city-state site located along the Swahili Coast on the
Kilwa Archipelago. It was occupied by (possibly)
Mwera people from the mainland from at least the 8th century CE and eventually became one of the most powerful Swahili settlements along the East African coast. Historically, it was the center of the
Kilwa Sultanate
The Kilwa Sultanate ( fa, پادشاهی کیلوا) was a sultanate, centered at Kilwa Kisiwani, Kilwa (an island off modern-day, Kilwa District in Lindi Region of Tanzania), whose authority, at its height, stretched over the entire length of t ...
, a medieval Swahili sultanate whose authority at its height in the 13th-15th centuries stretched the entire length of the
Swahili Coast. The seasonal wind reversals would affect trade circulations.
In 1331CE, Moroccan traveller and scholar
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berbers, Berber Maghrebi people, Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, ...
visited Kilwa and described it as one of the beautiful cities of the world.
Trade connections with the Arabian Peninsula as well as India and China influenced the growth and development of Kilwa, and, though there are Islamic words and customs that have been adapted to the culture, the origins are African.
Many of the Swahili settlements showed complex layouts that reflected social relations between groups, however at Kilwa, there are many questions still left unanswered about the town's layout after the Portuguese burnt it to the ground in July 1505.
The Swahili cemeteries are located on the edge of the town, which is common for the Swahili region, and large, open spaces were likely used for social gatherings.
An important city for trade, around the 13th century there were increased fortifications and a greater flow of goods. For these to take place, there would need to be a form of political administration overseeing the city, controlling the movement of goods. Much of the trade network was with the
Arabian peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
. Kilwa Kisiwani reached its highest point in wealth and commerce between the 13th and 15th centuries CE.
Evidence of growth in wealth can be seen with the appearance of stone buildings around the 13th century CE, before which all of the buildings were
wattle-and-daub. The socio-economic status of the individuals residing there can be inferred from the type of structure they were living in. Among Kilwa's trade exports were spices, tortoiseshell, coconut oil, ivory, and aromatic gums, as well as gold.
At around this time, Kilwa had seized control of the trade of gold at
Sofala,
Mozambique. The wealthier residents of Kilwa owned exotic textiles and foreign ceramics, though items such as luxury clothes are not preserved in the archaeological record.
For approximately 500 years, Kilwa minted its own coins. This lasted from about 1100-1600 CE and the coins have been found across the region, including
Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a medieval city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwi and the town of Masvingo. It is thought to have been the capital of a great kingdom during the country's Late Iron Age about which little is known. Con ...
.
Marine resources were abundant and used for food, supplemented by the surrounding land. Due to the impact the sea had on Kilwa, including marine resources and trade opportunities, the archaeological investigation of the harbors and ports is considered to be of high importance. The topsoil that covers the limestone at Kilwa was of poor quality, and so food sources on land came from the areas of higher ground. However, the soil in the Kilwa region would have been suitable for growing cotton, which could be used in sail manufacturing. 12th century
spindle whorl
A spindle whorl is a disc or spherical object fitted onto the spindle to increase and maintain the speed of the spin. Historically, whorls have been made of materials like amber, antler, bone, ceramic, coral, glass, stone, metal (iron, lead, lead ...
s have been found, indicating that cotton was used and processed in this area.
Ceramics

At first, most of the focus was placed on the archaeology of Kilwa's ports and harbors, however, more and more emphasis is being placed on Kilwa's hinterlands.
Ceramic artifacts are plentiful at the site and can be divided into two groups: regional and coastal. All of the ceramics with regional distribution were locally produced, but the area of distribution is limited. These unglazed ceramics were referred to as Kitchen Wares, though their uses were not necessarily just as cooking vessels. All of the varieties of locally produced pottery found in the region were also uncovered at the site of Kilwa itself.
While the Kitchen Wares could be seen throughout the region, there were ceramics that were mostly seen within Kilwa itself. These included modeled forms and red-burnished wares. The distribution pattern of the red-burnished wares was coastal. Other ceramic types that were seemingly restricted to town were the imported ceramic vessels from the Arabian peninsula and China. Imported ceramic materials are not found in rural areas. They were used as a sign of social status by the elite. They were kept in wall niches made just for the purpose of displaying them. These imported ceramics played important symbolic roles along the Swahili Coast. The symbolism attached to the imported ceramics was so strong that it carried on to modern
Swahili culture. The lack of imported goods in the hinterlands indicates that, while Kilwa was undergoing a process of urbanization, the other local communities did not undergo a dramatic transformation.
Preservation of the site
In 2004, Kilwa Kisiwani was inscribed on UNESCO's
List of World Heritage in Danger. There is a serious rapid deterioration of the archaeological and monumental heritage of these two islands due to various agents like erosion and vegetation. The eastern section of the Palace of Husuni Kubwa, for example, is progressively disappearing. The damage to the soil caused by rainwater wash is accentuating the risks of the collapse of the remaining structures on the edge of the cliff. The vegetation that proliferates on the cliff has limited the progression of the rain-wash effect but causes the break-up of the masonry structures. The
World Monuments Fund included Kilwa on its 2008 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites, and since 2008 has been supporting conservation work on various buildings. In 2014 it was removed from the list.
Between 2005 and 2009, the
Zamani Project documented some of the Swahili ruins on Kilwa Kisiwani with terrestrial
3D laser scanning
Lidar (, also LIDAR, or LiDAR; sometimes LADAR) is a method for determining ranges (variable distance) by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It can also be ...
. The structures documented include: the Gereza (prison); the
Great Mosque
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.*
*
*
*
*
*
*
...
; the Husuni Kubwa; the Makutani Building and the Malindi Mosque. Some of the 3D models, a panorama tour, elevations, sections and plans are available o
www.zamaniproject.org
Historic Buildings
Great Mosque

The
Great Mosque of Kilwa
The Great Mosque of Kilwa is a congregational mosque on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in Kilwa Masoko in Kilwa District in Lindi Region of Tanzania. It was likely founded in the tenth century, but the two major stages of construction date to th ...
is a
congregational mosque on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in
Tanzania. It was likely founded in the tenth century, but the two major stages of construction date to the 12th or twelfth and thirteenth century, respectively. It is one of the earliest surviving mosques on the Swahili Coast.
The smaller northern prayer hall dates to the first phase of construction. It contained a total of 16 bays supported by nine pillars, which were originally carved from
coral but later replaced by timber. The structure was entirely roofed, and was perhaps one of the first mosques in the area to have been built without a courtyard.
In the early fourteenth century,
Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman ( ar, الحسن بن سليمان), often referred to as "Abu'l-Muwahib" ("father of gifts"), was an Arab ruler of Kilwa Kisiwani, in present-day Tanzania, from 1310 until 1333. His full name was ''Abu al-Muzaffar Hasan ...
, who also built the nearby
Palace of Husuni Kubwa
Kilwa Kisiwani (English: ''Kilwa Island'') is an island, national historic site, and hamlet community located in the township of Kilwa Masoko, the district seat of Kilwa District in the Tanzanian region of Lindi Region in southern Tanzania. Kil ...
, added a southern extension which included a great dome. This dome was described by
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berbers, Berber Maghrebi people, Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, ...
after he visited Kilwa in 1331. You can view a 3D model of the Great Mosqu
here
Palace of Husuni Kubwa
Husuni Kubwa (the "Great Palace"), situated outside the town, was an early 14th-century sultan's palace and emporium. Other defining features include
causeway
A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...
s and platforms at the entrance of the Harbour made from blocks of reef and coral nearly a meter high. These act as
breakwaters, allowing
mangroves to grow which is one of the ways the breakwater can be spotted from a distance. Some parts of the causeway are made from the bedrock, but usually the bedrock was used as a base. Coral stone was used to build up the causeways with sand and lime being used to cement the cobbles together. Some of the stones were left loose.
The Palace of Husuni Kubwa is another prominent structure in Kilwa. The majority of the palace was erected in the 14th century by
Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman ( ar, الحسن بن سليمان), often referred to as "Abu'l-Muwahib" ("father of gifts"), was an Arab ruler of Kilwa Kisiwani, in present-day Tanzania, from 1310 until 1333. His full name was ''Abu al-Muzaffar Hasan ...
, who also built an extension to the nearby
Great Mosque of Kilwa
The Great Mosque of Kilwa is a congregational mosque on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in Kilwa Masoko in Kilwa District in Lindi Region of Tanzania. It was likely founded in the tenth century, but the two major stages of construction date to th ...
, although portions may date back to the 13th century. for unknown reasons, the palace was inhabited only for a brief period of time, and abandoned before its completion.
In true
Swahili architecture
Swahili architecture is a term used to designate a whole range of diverse building traditions practiced or once practiced along the eastern and southeastern coasts of Africa. Rather than simple derivatives of Islamic architecture from the Arabic ...
style the structure was built out of
coral stone on a high bluff overlooking the
Indian Ocean. It consists of three major elements: a south court, used primarily for commerce; a residential complex including over one hundred individual rooms; and a wide stairway leading down to a mosque on the beach.
Other notable features include a pavilion, which likely served as a reception hall, and an octagonal swimming pool. All of Husuni Kubwa spans across approximately two acres. The coral rag was set in limestone mortar and cut stone was used for decorative pieces, door jams, and vaults. The rooms were about 3 meters tall. The roof was made from cut limestone blocks laid across cut timbers and the floors were white plaster. The main entrance to Husuni Kubwa is from the shore.

Most of the imported glazed pottery recovered at the site was Chinese celadon, though there were a few Ying Ch'ing stoneware sherds present, and a Yuan dynasty flask dated to about 1300 CE. Neither the ''
Kilwa Chronicle
The ''Kilwa Chronicle'' is a text, believed to be based on oral tradition, which describes the origins of the Swahili city-state of Kilwa, on an Indian Ocean island near the East African coast. It recounts the genealogy of the rulers of the K ...
'' nor any other Portuguese accounts describe a building comparable to Husuni Kubwa.

Husuni Ndogo
Husuni Ndogo ("Little Palace") is built from coral rubble and limestone mortar. The rectangular enclosure wall surrounds the complex and at each corner stands a tower. The foundations extend two meters below ground level. It appears to have been built as a fort, but the exact purposes and uses are somewhat unknown. There is some evidence that it, for at least a time, was used as a mosque. Architecturally, it appears to be different from other buildings along the coast, resembling buildings constructed under the Caliphs of the Umayyad at around 661-750 CE. However, whether or not the structure is related or even dates to the Arabic buildings remains uncertain, though it seems unlikely.

Gereza Fort

The Gereza Fort (also called the Arab Fort) is situated between the Makutani Palace and the Great Mosque. There are some evidence that the original structure was Portuguese, while the present form of the fort is of typical Omani forts. The word Gereza means prison in Swahili, possibly indicating the use of the fort as an Omani slave holding building during the late 18th century to late 19th century after the collapse of the Swahili civilization after the arrival of the Portuguese in late 16th century.
Controversies

A lot of Kilwa's history has been written and politicized by Omani and European colonial administrators in the 19th century to justify the occupation and domination of East Africans over the centuries. This view assumes that cultural innovation and historical development in Africa can only come from outside. Hence there has been a lot of contradictory evidence on the origins and the role of foreign immigrants in Kilwa's history.
According to local oral tradition, in the 11th century the island of Kilwa Kisiwani was sold to Ali bin Hasan, son of the "King" of
Shiraz, in Persia. Another tradition relates that his mother was
Somali. Ali bin Al-Hasan is credited with founding the island city and with marrying the daughter of the local king. Though he was credited with the founding, he had arrived at an already inhabited area. He did, however, come to power and is credited with fortifying the city and increasing trade.
Tradition also relates that it was the child of this union who founded the Kilwa Sultanate. Archaeological and
documentary research
Documentary research is the use of outside sources, documents, to support the viewpoint or argument of an academic work. The process of documentary research
Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase th ...
has revealed that over the next few centuries, Kilwa grew to be a substantial city and the leading commercial
entrepôt on the southern half of the
Swahili Coast (roughly from the present Tanzanian-Kenya border southward to the mouth of the
Zambezi River), trading extensively with states of the Southeast African hinterland as far as Zimbabwe. Trade was mainly in gold, iron, ivory and other animal products of the interior for beads, textiles, jewelry, porcelain and spices from Asia. On the contrary, there is no evidence of Shirazi-based
Shia Islam in Kilwa and the entire East African coast.
By the 12th century, under the rule of the Abu'-Mawahib dynasty, Kilwa had become the most powerful city on the Swahili Coast. At the zenith of its power in the 15th century, the Kilwa Sultanate claimed authority over the city-states of
Malindi, Mvita (Mombasa),
Pemba Island,
Zanzibar,
Mafia Island,
Comoro,
Sofala and the trading posts across the channel on
Madagascar.
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berbers, Berber Maghrebi people, Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, ...
recorded his visit to the city around 1331, and commented favorably on the generosity, humility, and religion of its ruler,
Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman ( ar, الحسن بن سليمان), often referred to as "Abu'l-Muwahib" ("father of gifts"), was an Arab ruler of Kilwa Kisiwani, in present-day Tanzania, from 1310 until 1333. His full name was ''Abu al-Muzaffar Hasan ...
. Ibn Battuta also describes how the sultan would go into the interior and raid the people taking slaves and other forms of wealth. He was also particularly impressed by the planning of the city and believed that it was the reason for Kilwa's success along the coast.
From this period, the construction of the
Palace of Husuni Kubwa
Kilwa Kisiwani (English: ''Kilwa Island'') is an island, national historic site, and hamlet community located in the township of Kilwa Masoko, the district seat of Kilwa District in the Tanzanian region of Lindi Region in southern Tanzania. Kil ...
and a significant extension to the
Great Mosque of Kilwa
The Great Mosque of Kilwa is a congregational mosque on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in Kilwa Masoko in Kilwa District in Lindi Region of Tanzania. It was likely founded in the tenth century, but the two major stages of construction date to th ...
, which was made of
coral stones, the largest mosque of its kind. Kilwa was an important and wealthy city for the trade of gold. Because of trade, some of the people who lived in Kilwa had a higher standard of living, but many others were poor. The wealthy enjoyed indoor plumbing in their stone homes and the poor lived in mud huts with thatched roofs.
In the early 16th century,
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...
extorted tribute from the wealthy Islamic state. In 1505 another Portuguese force commanded by D.
Francisco de Almeida took control of the island after besieging it. It remained in Portuguese hands until 1512, when an Arab mercenary captured Kilwa after the Portuguese abandoned their outpost . The city regained some of its earlier prosperity, but in 1784 was conquered by the
Omani rulers of Zanzibar. After the Omani conquest, the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
built and manned a fort at the northern tip of the island, but the city itself was abandoned in the 1840s. It was later part of the colony of
German East Africa
German East Africa (GEA; german: Deutsch-Ostafrika) was a German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, the Tanzania mainland, and the Kionga Triangle, a small region later incorporated into Mozam ...
from 1886 to 1918.
Health & Education
Since the resident island population is less than 1000 people, there is one school, The Lyahi Koranic Middle school. Older students move to the mainland for further education. There are no healthcare facilities on the Island so residents have to take the boat to the mainland to receive healthcare services at either the Masoka Urban Health Center ot the Masoko BAKWATA Dispensary both located in
Kilwa Masoko
Kilwa Masoko or Masoko is an administrative ward in Kilwa District of Lindi Region in Tanzania.
The ward covers an area of , and has an average elevation of . The ward is also the capital of Kilwa District. According to the 2012 census, the ward ...
town.
See also
*
Historic Swahili Settlements
*
Swahili architecture
Swahili architecture is a term used to designate a whole range of diverse building traditions practiced or once practiced along the eastern and southeastern coasts of Africa. Rather than simple derivatives of Islamic architecture from the Arabic ...
References
Further reading
*. Volume 1: History and archaeology; Volume 2: The finds.
External links
Kilwa Kisiwani Site Page from the Aluka Digital LibraryWorld Monuments Fund Project Page for KilwaFree resource for tourists on KilwaDescription of the mosque at ArchNet, including pictures.Description of the palace at ArchNet; includes photos.
{{Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese empire
Swahili people
Swahili city-states
Swahili architecture
Archaeological sites in Tanzania
Palaces in Tanzania
Coastal islands of Tanzania
Former Portuguese colonies
World Heritage Sites in Tanzania
Former populated places in Tanzania
Ruins in Tanzania
Tourist attractions in the Lindi Region
Geography of Lindi Region
World Heritage Sites in Danger
8th-century establishments in Africa
Populated places established in the 8th century
Populated places disestablished in the 1840s
Populated places established in 1886
1840s disestablishments in Africa
1886 establishments in German East Africa
1918 disestablishments in German East Africa
Portuguese colonial architecture in Tanzania
Archaeological sites of Eastern Africa
Islands of Lindi Region