Kilwa Historic Sites, Tanzania

The indigenous stone and coral structures of Songo Mnara on the southeast coast of Tanzania, and Kilwa Kivinje and Kilwa Kisiwani on nearby islands, reflect the influence of local trade with the Middle East, Western Europe, and Asia.

Significant sites include Kilwa Kisiwani’s Great Mosque--its tenth-century prayer hall is the oldest standing ruin at the site--and the island’s primary fort, constructed by the Portuguese in 1505. Kilwa Kivinje developed into a regional center in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, largely as a result of the slave and ivory trades. Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981, and the listing was expanded in 2004 to include Kilwa Kivinje.

The major threats facing the sites are natural decay, coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and human activity. Most Kilwa buildings have deteriorated due to a lack of funds for maintenance. The most pressing issue, however, is coastal erosion, which threatens to cause many of Kilwa’s magnificent monuments to eventually disappear into the sea.

Climate change also threatens these sites:

- Herschel Island
- Scott’s Hut and the Explorer’s Heritage

- Sonargaon-Panam City
- Leh Old Town
- Chinguetti Mosque

Read more about sites affected by climate change



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