On Tanzania's seldom-visited south coast, Kilwa is of exceptional historical interest and is a group of three settlements magnificently situated on a mangrove-fringed bay dotted with numerous small islands. It is split between Kilwa Kisiwani (Kilwa on the Island) 1 mi/2 km offshore, Kilwa Kivinje (Kilwa of the Casuarina Trees) on the mainland and Kilwa Masoko (Kilwa of the Market) on a peninsula jutting into the bay and the site of the present-day main town. There's a superb beach a stone's throw from the centre of Kilwa Masoko, along which are several simple but delightful resorts.
Kilwa Kiswani is where the ruined city is—all that remains of a 13th-century gold-trading emporium described by the medieval globetrotter Ibn Buttata as "one of the most beautiful and well-constructed towns in the world." It grew to be the largest town on the south coast and prospered to the extent that Kilwa could maintain its own sultan and coinage prior to being attacked by the Portuguese in 1505.
The ruins are in surprisingly good shape and include two multidomed mosques, several elaborate palaces and a Portuguese-built fort. From Kilwa Masoko, boat trips across to the island by dhow are easily arranged and a guide walks visitors around the ruins. However, it is first necessary to get a permit to visit the site from the Department of Antiquities office on the road leading to the harbor—the guide will organize everything. Few tourists make it to Kilwa, but it is a lovely, peaceful spot, and the extent of the ruins reveals a little-known aspect of Africa's historical significance.
The ruins are about 200 mi/322 km south of Dar es Salaam.
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