Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara
🇮🇹 United Republic of Tanzania📅 1981 Inscribed
View Full Image
The remains of two great East African ports admired by early European explorers are situated on two small islands near the coast. From the 13th to the 16th century, the merchants of Kilwa dealt in gold, silver, pearls, perfumes, Arabian crockery, Persian earthenware and Chinese porcelain; much of the trade in the Indian Ocean thus passed through their hands.
Insight I
These sites bear witness to the prosperity of East African port cities from the 13th to 16th centuries, which thrived through Indian Ocean trade connecting Arabia, India, Southeast Asia, and China.
Insight II
The Great Mosque of Kilwa Kisiwani is the oldest surviving mosque on the East African coast, constructed primarily from coral stone.
Insight III
In 1331, famed traveler Ibn Battuta visited Kilwa and praised it as 'one of the most beautiful cities in the world.'
Keywords13
New Insights !
Login to share your unique knowledge about this heritage site.