Island With the Oldest Remaining Mosque Structure on the East African Coast: 5 Interesting Pictures & More

Kilwa Vacations: Kilwa Kisiwani Tanzania — The Island of Kilwa (Island With the Oldest Remaining Mosque Structure on the East African Coast/Island With the Oldest Remaining Mosque Structure in the East African Coast)

Kilwa Kisiwani, along with the nearby island of Songo Mnara, is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara.

The island of Kilwa is famously recognized as an island with the oldest remaining mosque structure on the East African Coast, where early Swahili civilization and Indian Ocean trade flourished for centuries.

On the island of Kilwa, you can explore outstanding ruins that include the Great Mosque — built from coral and lime mortar, originally constructed in the 11th century and expanded over time — making this site an island with the oldest remaining mosque structure on the East African Coast and one of the most remarkable historical monuments of the Swahili coast.

Other impressive structures on Kilwa Kisiwani include a palace that once featured more than 100 rooms and an 80,000‑liter octagonal bathing pool, a large fort, many smaller mosques, and more.

To visit these ruins, you cross the beautiful blue waters of Kilwa Kisiwani Harbour by boat from Kilwa Masoko on the mainland.

The ruins at Songo Mnara, though less grand than those at Kilwa Kisiwani, are still of significant historical interest. They outline the remains of a 15th‑century walled Swahili stone town with several mosques, domestic dwellings, and palace complexes — offering a clear sense of the layout and scale of Islamic trading towns along East Africa’s coast in the medieval period.

To give you an idea of what there is to see during your vacation in Kilwa, here are some pictures I shared on Instagram after my trip there.

Pictures of Kilwa Kisiwani, the Island With the Oldest Mosque in East Africa

The Fort at Kilwa Kisiwani — The ruin of a 16^th century fort on Kilwa Kisiwani (the island of Kilwa), Tanzania.

Kilwa Mosque/Great Mosque Kilwa

A tree grows around the ruins of the Great Mosque of Kilwa whose earliest parts were built in the 11th-century, i.e., the Middle Ages. Until the 16th century, the Great Mosque of Kilwa was the largest mosque in sub-Saharan Africa.

Chittick House, Kilwa, Tanzania — This house, now in ruins, found on the Island of Kilwa, was built by Neville Chittick, a British archaeologist who pioneered the study and conservation of the ancient settlement of Kilwa. He used this house as a base when he worked there. Chittick was Tanzania’s first Conservator of Antiquities. He led teams of researchers in training and excavation programs in Kilwa from 1958 to 1965. He helped develop a strong tradition of archeological study in Tanzania.

Kilwa Kisiwani, the island with the oldest remaining mosque structure on the east african coast — A tree grows into a wall of The Great Mosque of Kilwa, the oldest standing mosque on the East African coast founded in the 10^th century. The dome of this mosque was the largest dome in East Africa until the 19^th century. #UNESCOWorldHeritageSite

Turquoise Water, Sailing to Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania — The Kilwa Sultinate was a medieval sultinate whose authority at its height stretched all along the Swahili (East African) Coast. This picture was taken as I sailed to Kilwa Kisiwani, the Island of Kilwa (and center of the Kilwa Sultinate) from Kilwa Masoko (mainland Kilwa), looking back at Kilwa Pakaya Hotel, where I was staying. #MemoriesOfEasterPast

Ruins of the Great Mosque of Kilwa (Island With Oldest Mosque in East African Coast)

A Tree overtakes the wall of the great mosque of Kilwa, Tanzania — Look at just how completely the tree took over the wall (see the picture two pictures above to know what I am talking about). —The Great Mosque of Kilwa, Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania #UnescoWorldHeritageSite

Rusty boat, Kilwa, Tanzania — An old boat becomes part of the ecosystem on the shores of the Kilwa Pakaya Hotel in Kilwa, Tanzania (famous for the medieval coastal Kilwa Sultinate).

The Indian Ocean from Kilwa, Tanzania — The view from my room at the Kilwa Pakaya Hotel in Kilwa Masoko, Tanzania.

Photo Credit: Richard Mortel

2 comments

Annika Ericsson Kidd says:

April 1, 2022 at 03:52

Hi, Biche!
So lovely to read about Kilwa and everything else on your blog. I remember a restaurant visit in Dar together with you and Iris, when you told us about your idea of starting a blog. And boy did you ever! Good for you! Would love to hear from you, and keep in touch. Hugs and love, Annika

1. Biche says:
  
  April 1, 2022 at 17:54
  
  Hi Annika,
  
  I am so happy to see you on my blog! I chatted with Iris a few days ago and she tells me that you ladies caught up in Ottawa recently. Ah, how I missed out! 🙂
  
  Are you on WhatsApp? If so, we should connect and catch up. Let me send you a personal email.
  
  Thanks for the kudos on my blog. I hope you and yours are well! 🙂
  
  Biche

Table of Contents

Kilwa Vacations: Kilwa Kisiwani Tanzania — The Island of Kilwa (Island With the Oldest Remaining Mosque Structure on the East African Coast/Island With the Oldest Remaining Mosque Structure in the East African Coast)

Pictures of Kilwa Kisiwani, the Island With the Oldest Mosque in East Africa

Kilwa Mosque/Great Mosque Kilwa

Ruins of the Great Mosque of Kilwa (Island With Oldest Mosque in East African Coast)

2 comments

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