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A mosque to rival those in Istanbul was built here.

Unlike the gold and salt empires in West Africa, the trading ports on the east coast belonged to independent city-states. One of the greatest of these was the ancient port of Kilwa, where Portuguese, Arab, and Persian merchant ships traded for gold. How did Kilwa translate its gold trade into a glorious civilization? Learn more by reading each question below and then clicking on it.

By Claude McNab [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Great Mosque at Kilwa is an architectural marvel that symbolizes the power of the Swahili trade city.

Question

Where do we get our information about Kilwa during its golden age in the Middle Ages?

Our first account comes from the Muslim explorer and chronicler Ibn Battuta, who visited Kilwa in 1331 and described its beauties. In 1498 the first Portuguese traders arrived on the Swahili coast. They said Kilwa was overflowing with gold, and densely populated by Muslim Africans.

Question

What is unusual about the buildings in Kilwa?

They are all made of coral from the ocean. There is little natural stone on the sea coast, so the people of Kilwa harvested coral and shaped it into blocks to build their houses and the great 100-room palace of their king.

Question

What makes the Great Mosque at Kilwa so unusual?

Like the other buildings in Kilwa, it is made entirely of coral, but beyond that, the architect took the traditional domed roof of the Islamic mosque and created a building with many domes and vaults, anticipating the work of the great Muslim architect Mimar Sinan.

How important were Kilwa and Swahili to African trade? Use these questions to check your understanding.

Why was Swahili called a melting pot language?

  1. People from around the world came to live on the Swahili coast.
  2. It contained words from many different languages.
  3. Swahili was brought to Africa by traders.

Swahili was an African language, but it adopted many words from other languages, perhaps in order to describe the items that foreigners brought to trade.

Swahili was an African language, but it adopted many words from other languages, perhaps in order to describe the items that foreigners brought to trade.

Swahili was an African language, but it adopted many words from other languages, perhaps in order to describe the items that foreigners brought to trade.

Why did European traders assume that Kilwa was an Arab outpost rather than built by native Africans?

  1. because the people there practiced Islam
  2. because Arabic was the only language spoken there
  3. because they didn't believe Africans could build an outpost

Portuguese traders saw mosques and other signs of Islam in the city at Kilwa. They didn't realize that many Africans had converted to Islam long ago.

Portuguese traders saw mosques and other signs of Islam in the city at Kilwa. They didn't realize that many Africans had converted to Islam long ago.

Portuguese traders saw mosques and other signs of Islam in the city at Kilwa. They didn't realize that many Africans had converted to Islam long ago.

Why was Kilwa such an important post for foreign trade?

  1. The people in Kilwa were friendlier and generally more honest.
  2. The gold was better in quality in Kilwa than in other ports.
  3. Large trading ships could anchor there more easily than in other ports.

Because of the way Kilwa was set up, ships could anchor between the island and the mainland and receive some shelter from wind and currents.

Because of the way Kilwa was set up, ships could anchor between the island and the mainland and receive some shelter from wind and currents.

Because of the way Kilwa was set up, ships could anchor between the island and the mainland and receive some shelter from wind and currents.

What is the defining characteristic of Swahili architecture?

  1. The doors were usually carved from driftwood.
  2. All of the buildings had domes and spires.
  3. The buildings were made entirely of sea coral.

Swahili builders used coral in all parts of their buildings, which gave the walls a beautiful, bright sheen.

Swahili builders used coral in all parts of their buildings, which gave the walls a beautiful, bright sheen.

Swahili builders used coral in all parts of their buildings, which gave the walls a beautiful, bright sheen.

Summary

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