Kilwa Kisiwani
A major Swahili trading city whose coral-stone ruins include mosques, palaces, houses, fortifications, tombs, and harbour remains.
Photo: Khalidsalewa · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Country
- Tanzania
- Region
- Lindi Region
- Civilisation
- Swahili
- Period
- 9th–19th centuries CE
- UNESCO
- World Heritage ↗
Through time
The story
Kilwa Kisiwani 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 in southern Tanzania. Kilwa Kisiwani is the largest of the nine hamlets in the town of Kilwa Masoko and is also the least populated hamlet in the township with around 1,150 residents.
Historically, it was the center of the Kilwa Sultanate, a medieval Swahili sultanate whose authority at its height in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries stretched the entire length of the Swahili Coast. At its peak in the Middle Ages, Kilwa had over 10,000 inhabitants. 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. Apart from its significant historical reputation, Kilwa Kisiwani is still home to a small and resilient community of natives who have inhabited the island for centuries.
Kilwa Kisiwani is one of the seven World Heritage Sites in Tanzania. Additionally, the site is a registered National Historic Site of Tanzania.
Adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What you will see
- Great Mosque
- Husuni Kubwa
- Gereza Fort
Before you go
- Check opening hours and ticket rules shortly before your visit — they change seasonally.
- Plan for the heat. Most ancient sites have little shade; go early or late.
- Respect the barriers. Fragile surfaces are protected for the next visitors.
Discoveries from Kilwa Kisiwani
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