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CyArk is a non profit organization founded in 2003 to digitally record, archive and share the world’s cultural heritage and ensure that these places continue to inspire wonder and curiosity for decades to come.

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Dilemma of local socio economic perspectives in management of historic ruins in Kilwa Kisiwani World Heritage Site Tanzania

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Repurposing has recently been necessary to the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) Global Challenges project in Tanzania to continue to support the local community despite the on-going COVID-19 crisis.

When lock-down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic started to impact business and travel worldwide, work on year 2 of our project, ' Safeguarding Heritage for Sustainable Development in Coastal Tanzanian Sites ' stalled. We had arranged several in-country training sessions to build in-country capacity to address heritage site loss and damage through natural and anthropogenic change. The training was to engage with the University of Dar es Salaam, government official from the Department of Antiquities and Tourism and with people living in and around the heritage that is the focus of our work on the Swahili Coast. Due to the pandemic, our visit was immediately put on hold and a rapid revision of the project plans had to be made. A strategy swiftly developed to enable the progress of the project while, most importantly, enabling the community at Kilwa Kisawani World Heritage Site (the focus for this stage) to be supported at a time when their livelihoods were being devastated.

It had always been our intention, in year 3, to construct a focal point for the project at Kilwa in the form of a small museum that would be staffed by members of WAUMAKI, a woman-run heritage enterprise group .

The museum would house:

results from the research,

artefacts that had been found at the site over the years,

items of heritage that originated in Kilwa but are currently housed elsewhere

and importantly, provide an outlet for the woman to sell products based on their intangible heritage knowledge, such as basketry and weaving.

We also intended this museum to be a point where tourists to the region could engage with knowledgeable guides for the site, at once providing income to the local community and preservation for the site.

Switching the focus of these two years', construction is now well underway for a small museum, and it is proving a greater early success than had been envisioned. Members of the community have come together to help build the museum and to provide its cultural heritage content by offering their stories to be recorded at the museum.

For example, Msee (translates to mean 'respectable old man') Hassan Raman has been talking to WAUMAKI about his time working on the site with the late Prof. Chittick in the 1970s when Chittick was director of the British Institute in East Africa. When completed and the team can return to Tanzania, we will continue the training and community outreach we had planned for this year. We hope to all benefit from the new insights the current world circumstances have given us.

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Digitizing Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Preservation and Development in Tanzania

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Repurposing has recently been necessary to the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) Global Challenges project in Tanzania to continue to support the local community despite the on-going COVID-19 crisis. When lock-down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic started to impact business and travel worldwide, work on year 2 of our project, ' Safeguarding Heritage for Sustainable Development in Coastal Tanzanian Sites ' stalled.

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Training women to cook for large scale tourist events and setting up local buisness

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WAUMAKI Kisiwani Project - ESCALA Initiative

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WAUMAKI is promoting heritage conservation in Tanzania by empowering local female entrepreneurs dedicated to improving social and economic development near the Kilwa site. The women are attending SPI's business school in order to develop their existing craft and culinary skills, create new products

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CVI Kilwa KIsiwani and Songo Mnara Report  - Eng-min

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CVI Kilwa KIsiwani and Songo Mnara Report  - Eng-min

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2 day Event

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The Swahili coast features a rich tradition of vernacular architecture, centred on the 'stonetowns' that were founded along the Indian Ocean coast from the 11th century onwards. Many still thrive today, and the inhabitants are rightly proud of their heritage, which includes UNESCO World Heritage sites at Kilwa Kisiwani, Songo Mnara, Zanzibar, and Lamu.

However, tourists and residents alike are often unaware of the region's illustrious past and cultural heritage sites are not currently presented to their full potential. There are also many social challenges affecting the conservation and presentation of heritage sites. This network strives to raise awareness of Tanzania's cultural heritage and to bring local communities into that discussion. It will take advantage of existing heritage expertise in Tanzanian universities and continue to build a dialogue between scholars, heritage organisations, and communities. This is planned as a programme of dialogue and training via local collaborators at Pangani (2018) and Kilwa (2019), developing an understanding of local priorities and engaging in outreah activities with multiple regional stakeholders.

Over two summers we will organise workshops that brings together scholars and non-academic stakeholders, where will discuss priorities and challenges for Tanzanian coastal heritage and providing training according to local requirements explored through focus groups. Community groups, including schools, will be incorporated into this training, and encouraged to participate in finding out about the region's past. This approach is designed to foster co-production of knowledge, building on existing understandings to create a vision of the region's history.

Please read about how we manage our intereaction with any participants in this project: About Your Participation--Updated 24-06-19.docx
CONCH is funded by the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC), through the award of a Research Networking Highlight for International Development grant to Stephanie Wynne Jones (PI), Paul Lane (Co-I) and Elinaza Mjema (Co-I).

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The Swahili coast features a rich tradition of vernacular architecture, centred on the 'stonetowns' that were founded along the Indian Ocean coast from the 11th century onwards. Many still thrive today, and the inhabitants are rightly proud of their heritage, which includes UNESCO World Heritage sites at Kilwa Kisiwani, Songo Mnara, Zanzibar, and Lamu.

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2013 - 2016 Promoting Heritage Resources in Kilwa to strengthen Social and economic Development

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2013 - 2016 Promoting Heritage Resources in Kilwa to strengthen Social and economic Development

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Taken from DOI : 10.1080/0067270X.2017.1396665

Funding source and project

cost
The European Union.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The French Ministry of culture and communication
(€552,000)

Initial project objectives

To identify, protect and promote
heritage resources to encourage the
development of new income-
generating activities for the local
population

Outcomes

An information centre was constructed in KilwaMasoko.

An inventory of various tourist destinations in Kilwaand beyond completed.

Six tour guides from Kilwaarea trained.

Two guest houses constructed.

Equipment bought,including boats and bicycles

Problems/challenges reported

An inventory made is not scientific andgives narrow site information withseveral pictures..

Most of the project activities were implemented by foreign experts and thefunds were spent on activities outsidethe project area.

A focus on foreign tourists with little attention paid to domestic tourists.

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Publication of the catalogue on the cultural heritage of Kilwa in Tanzania. This document is an inventory of the touristic sites around Kilwa: fishermen's villages, salt marshes, islands, architectural heritage, natural sites, geological curiosities, fauna etc.

Click here to download the document

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CRAterre :: Karibu Kilwa: Kilwa district heritage resources

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Publication of the catalogue on the cultural heritage of Kilwa in Tanzania. This document is an inventory of the touristic sites around Kilwa: fishermen's villages, salt marshes, islands, architectural heritage, natural sites, geological curiosities, fauna etc. Click here to download the document

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2011–2014 -Integrated Preservation at Kilwa Kisiwani and SongoMnara, Tanzania

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2011–2014 -Integrated Preservation at Kilwa Kisiwani and SongoMnara, Tanzania

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Taken from DOI : 10.1080/0067270X.2017.1396665

Funding source and project

cost
The Ambassador’s Fundfor CulturalPreservation, UnitedStates of America(US$ 700,000)

Initial project objectives

To create a framework for balanceddevelopment.

To create competing demands of tourism, economic development,social change and heritage preservation

Outcomes

70% of the standingmonuments rehabilitatedand preserved.

24 monuments surveyedand 51 drawings produced.

Village land-use plan forSongo Mnara completed.

Coastal management study done and proposals to minimise beach erosion were put in place.

Kilwa Kisiwani Site digitisation completed

Problems/challenges reported

Transfer of money to Lindi sub-treasuryand then to Kilwa sub-station was amajor problem. Sometimes workers werenot paid for six months. One local personwho worked as a casual labourer diedbefore she received her wages. Thisproblem created much enmity betweenlocal people and the site manager

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The Zamani Project team spatially documented Songo Mnara during 4 field campaigns between 2005-2009. The structures documented include: The Palace, the mosque and a number of residential buildings.- 3D Heritage Documentation - Laser Scanning - 3D Modelling - GIS

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2005 -2008 Emergency Conservation of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara Endangered Sites

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2005 -2008 Emergency Conservation of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara Endangered Sites

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Taken from DOI : 10.1080/0067270X.2017.1396665

Funding source and project

cost

Government of Norway.

Government of Tanzania.

UNESCO–Dar esSalaam

(US$ 1,639,390

Initial project objectives

To conduct emergency conservation work, including consolidation and protection of masonry structure atthe Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani andSongo Mnara.

Creation of erosion protectionstructures at Kilwa Kisiwani.

Construction of a water reservoir atSongo Mnara

Outcomes

Construction of shaft kiln.Ruins’Committeeestablished in both Kisiwaniand Songo Mnara.

Seventeen local peopletrained [five in limeproduction, five in stonecutting and seven inmasonry].

Construction of anantiquities/ruins committee office at Songo Mnara.

Sea wall constructed atKilwa Kisiwani.

The palace, secretary house and Friday mosque inSongo Mnara rehabilitated.

Two classrooms in KilwaKisiwani primary schoolrehabilitate

About 3700 seedlings ofCeriups tagalandRhizophora mucronata planted near the Old Fort.

Water reservoir constructed in Songo Mnara village

Problems/challenges reported

Local people did not use the shaft kiln,which later collapsed

Transfer of money from Dar es Salaam to Kilwa was a major problem because of alack of a bank account at Kilwa

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2002–2005  Rehabilitation and Promotion of Kilwa Ruins

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2002–2005  Rehabilitation and Promotion of Kilwa Ruins

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Taken from DOI : 10.1080/0067270X.2017.1396665

Funding source and project

cost

French Government

Japanese Government

Tanzanian Government

UNESCO

(US$ 800,000)

Initial project objectives

To rehabilitate the Rest House, Husuni Kubwa Palace, Old Fort and Small Domed Mosque and Great Mosque

Installation of solar power and radio call in the Rest House

To improve site accessibility, safety and understanding

To train local youths in conservation and maintenance techniques

Outcomes

Rest House rehabilitated

Solar power and radio call installed in the building

Emergence restorations undertaken at several monumental ruins

Twenty youths (13 men and seven women) trained in

masonry and stone-cutting

Information panels installed at Kilwa Kisiwani

Problems/challenges reported

The majority of the activities were implemented by experts from outside Tanzania.

Local people complained of low wages

The rest house functioned for approximately two years, but was later abandoned

Both solar power and radio call are no longer in place; youths, some of whom were part of the project, reputedly stole them

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Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

Located on two islands close to each other just off the Tanzanian coast about 300km south of Dar es Salaam are the remains of two port cites, Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara. The larger, Kilwa Kisiwani, was occupied from the 9th to the 19th century and reached its peak of prosperity in the13th and 14th centuries. In 1331-1332, the great traveler, Ibn Battouta made a stop here and described Kilwa as one of the most beautiful cities of the world.

Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were Swahili trading cities and their prosperity was based on control of Indian Ocean trade with Arabia, India and China, particularly between the 13th and 16th centuries, when gold and ivory from the hinterland was traded for silver, carnelians, perfumes, Persian faience and Chinese porcelain. Kilwa Kisiwani minted its own currency in the 11th to 14th centuries. In the 16th century, the Portuguese established a fort on Kilwa Kisiwani and the decline of the two islands began.

The remains of Kilwa Kisiwani cover much of the island with many parts of the city still unexcavated. The substantial standing ruins, built of coral and lime mortar, include the Great Mosque constructed in the 11th century and considerably enlarged in the 13th century, and roofed entirely with domes and vaults, some decorated with embedded Chinese porcelain; the palace Husuni Kubwa built between c1310 and 1333 with its large octagonal bathing pool; Husuni Ndogo, numerous mosques, the Gereza (prison) constructed on the ruins of the Portuguese fort and an entire urban complex with houses, public squares, burial grounds, etc.

The ruins of Songo Mnara, at the northern end of the island, consist of the remains of five mosques, a palace complex, and some thirty-three domestic dwellings constructed of coral stones and wood within enclosing walls.

The islands of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara bear exceptional testimony to the expansion of Swahili coastal culture, the lslamisation of East Africa and the extraordinarily extensive and prosperous Indian Ocean trade from the medieval period up to the modern era.

Criterion (iii): Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara provide exceptional architectural, archaeological and documentary evidence for the growth of Swahili culture and commerce along the East African coast from the 9th to the 19th centuries, offering important insights regarding economic, social and political dynamics in this region.

The Great Mosque of Kilwa Kisiwani is the oldest standing mosque on the East African coast and, with its sixteen domed and vaulted bays, has a unique plan. Its true great dome dating from the 13th was the largest dome in East Africa until the 19th century.

Integrity

The key attributes conveying outstanding universal value are found on the islands of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara. However, two associated groups of attributes at Kilwa Kivinje, a mainly 19th century trading town, and Sanje Ya Kati, an island to the south of Kilwa where there are ruins covering 400 acres, including houses and a mosque that date to the 10th century or even earlier, are not included within the boundaries of the property.

The property is subject to invasion by vegetation and inundation by the sea, and vulnerable to encroachment by new buildings and agriculture activities that threaten the buried archaeological resources. The continued deterioration and decay of the property leading to collapse of the historical and archeological structures for which the property was inscribed, resulted in the property being placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004.

Authenticity

The ability of the islands to continue to express truthfully their values has been maintained in terms of design and materials due to limited consolidation of the structures using coral stone and other appropriate materials, but is vulnerable, particularly on Kilwa Kisiwani to urban encroachment and coastal damage as these threaten the ability to understand the overall layout of the mediaeval port city. The ability of the sites to retain their authenticity depends on implementation of an ongoing conservation programme that addresses all the corrective measures necessary to achieve removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Protection and management requirements

The sites comprising the property are legally protected through the existing cultural resource policy (2008), Antiquities Law (the Antiquities Act of 1964 and its Amendment of 1979) and established Rules and Regulations. Both the Antiquities laws and regulations are currently being reviewed.

The property is administered under the authority of the Antiquities Division. A site Managerand Assistant Conservators are responsible for the management of the sites. A Management Plan was established in 2004 and is currently under revision. Key management issues include climate change impact due to increased waveaction and beach erosion; encroachment on the site by humans and animals (cattle and goats); an inadequate conservation programme for all the monuments, and inadequate community participation and awarenessof associated benefits.

Long term major threats to the site will be addressed and mechanisms for involvement of the community and other stakeholders will be employed to ensure the sustainable conservation and continuity of the site. There is a need for better zoning of the property for planning in order to ensure development and agricultural uses do not impact adversely on the structures and buried archaeology.

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Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara

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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, ...

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Author

Neville H Chittick

Title

Letter: Items sent to the Institute of Archaeology, London.

Published (place)

Unknown

Abstract

List of items sent to the Institute of Archaeology, London from the British Institute in Eastern Africa. From Chittick, Neville H to Black, James. (2 Page). Source: British Institute in Easter Africa in Eastern Africa, OPN CHITTICK.

Associated Metadata:

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British Institute in Eastern Africa Image Archive

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The British Institute in Eastern Africa promotes research into the archaeology, history, linguistics, and anthropology of eastern Africa, broadly defined. It is based in Nairobi where it maintains a library and research facilities. The Institute undertakes and supports research in countries throughout the region, from Zimbabwe to the Sudan.