The historic coastal towns of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were once thriving economic and cultural hubs off the coast of present-day Tanzania. Flourishing during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, these strategically located towns connected inland gold- and ivory-producing regions with distant port cities across the Indian Ocean. The intricate architecture built from coral stone reflects Swahili, Arab, Persian, and Indian influences, embodying centuries of multicultural interaction. Yet today, these sites face critical threats from coastal erosion and rising sea levels.
Part of Africa’s Cultural Landmarks, a series produced by The Met in collaboration with World Monuments Fund and directed by Sosena Solomon, this film highlights initiatives to preserve the historic mosques and palaces for future generations.
About Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara
Located along the south-central coast of what is today Tanzania, the towns of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were two of the wealthiest and most densely populated port cities in coastal east Africa by the time the Portuguese arrived in the region in 1498. Archaeological investigations and analysis of oral histories have revealed that Kilwa was settled by the 8th century and grew into a thriving metropolis of earthen and coral-stone structures between 11th and 15th centuries, while Songo Mnara grew rapidly between the late 14th and early 16th centuries due to its commercial ties with and proximity south of Kilwa.
The wealth of both towns stemmed from Kilwa's strategic position connecting gold- and ivory-producing centers near Great Zimbabwe to port cities across the Indian Ocean with access to glazed ceramics, woven textiles, perfumes, and silver.
Seeking control over Kilwa’s monopoly on coastal trade, Portuguese merchants imposed strict tariffs and placed increasing pressure on Zimbabwe’s gold and ivory production, leading to the economic collapse of both the inland and coastal metropolises.
While Kilwa's prominence within Indian Ocean trade networks declined, it remained populated throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, and by the late 18th century it became a critical node in the Indian Ocean slave and ivory trades. The Omani Busaʿidi Sultans in Zanzibar exercised their control over this port through the construction of Makutani Palace and the conversion of the Portuguese Fort into a prison.
Today, the architectural remains of these once-thriving port cities mediate local and global perceptions of Swahili coast towns as active centers of religious, cultural, and economic exchange.
Africa’s Cultural Landmarks is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with World Monuments Fund.
