Tanzania’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Saidi Othman Yakubu, toured the historic coastal ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara in the Lindi Region, stressing the urgent need to protect, promote, and develop the ancient Swahili trading ports as vital pieces of global heritage.
The coastal ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara stand on two small islands roughly 300km south of Dar es Salaam, preserving architectural and archaeological evidence of a civilization that once dominated maritime commerce across the Indian Ocean. Occupied from the 9th to the 19th century, the larger island of Kilwa Kisiwani reached its peak prosperity between the 13th and 14th centuries. During that era, merchants traded gold and ivory from the hinterland for silver, carnelians, perfumes, Persian faience, and Chinese porcelain from Arabia, India, and China.
In 1331 and 1332, the medieval traveler Ibn Battuta visited the port described Kilwa as one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Centuries earlier, between the 11th and 14th centuries, the port city even minted its own currency, underlining its distinct economic autonomy before Portuguese explorers established a fort on the island in the 16th century.
Architectural Splendors and Ongoing Preservation Challenges
The islands feature substantial standing structures built from coral and lime mortar, many of which remain unexcavated across large portions of Kilwa Kisiwani. Among the prominent monuments is the Great Mosque, originally constructed in the 11th century and significantly enlarged in the 13th century. Featuring sixteen domed and vaulted bays roofed entirely with domes and vaults and decorated with embedded fragments of Chinese porcelain, the structure includes what was the largest dome in East Africa until the 19th century. Other notable remains include the palace complex of Husuni Kubwa—built between c1310 and 1333 and complete with a large octagonal bathing pool—alongside Husuni Ndogo and the Gereza, a prison built upon the ruins of the old Portuguese fortification.
Despite their recognized universal value, the ruins face persistent environmental and structural threats. The property has suffered from invasion by vegetation and inundation by the sea, alongside ongoing vulnerability to agricultural encroachment and new building development that threaten buried archaeological resources. These pressures and the steady deterioration of historical structures led to the property being placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004. Protecting authenticity depends on executing an ongoing conservation program that addresses corrective measures required to clear the property from that danger list.
Diplomatic Visits and the Drive for Sustainable Tourism
During his assessment tour of the Lindi Region, Ambassador Yakubu underscored the international significance of the ruins and acknowledged the contributions of the United States Government, the World Monuments Fund and the Government of France in supporting local conservation efforts. He commended the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) for safeguarding the monuments while calling for deeper international cooperation in research and infrastructure development.
Ambassador Yakubu emphasized that heritage management should go hand in hand with creating economic opportunities for local communities so that surrounding populations experience direct advantages from tourism. By linking the ancient ruins with regional mangrove ecosystems, marine tourism, and local cultural traditions, authorities hope to expand tourism products responsibly.
Management Frameworks and Regulatory Oversight
Administration of the properties falls under the Antiquities Division, supported by a Site Manager and Assistant Conservators. Legal protections are anchored in the cultural resource policy from 2008 and the Antiquities Act of 1964 and its Amendment of 1979, with both the overarching laws and the site’s 2004 Management Plan currently undergoing administrative review.
