Chwaka, Pemba

4°57′43.164″S 39°46′39.324″E / 4.96199000°S 39.77759000°E / -4.96199000; 39.77759000TypeSettlementHistoryMaterialCoral ragFounded13th century CEAbandoned16th century CECulturesSwahiliSite notesOwnershipTanzanian GovernmentManagementAntiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism ^[1]ArchitectureArchitectural stylesSwahili & IslamicOfficial nameChwaka Historic SiteTypeCultural inactive excavation

Chwaka (Swahili: Magofu ya mji wa kale wa Chwaka) is a medieval Swahili historic site next to the village of Chwaka located in Micheweni District of Pemba North Region, Tanzania. There is an excavated Swahili mosque on the site.^[2] The location of these ruins is 6 km (3.7 mi) from the small town of Konde, at the end of a trail that extends 900 m (3,000 ft) in the direction of the village of Tumbe on the way to the village of Myumoni.

The archaeological site is clearly marked from the road and is open to the public. On the entire island of Pemba, these ruins are among the best kept. This location has early 13th-century inscriptions. However, Harun Bin Ali, the son of Mkame Ndune of Pujini.^{[clarification needed]} The settlement, which covered an area of 20 hectares (49 acres) featured a grand palace-fortress, banquet halls, two mosques, an ironworks, and a harbor in a nearby creek. The town was abandoned in the 16th century.

The massive mosque's walls and its gate arches are still in place today. Remains (bowls, ceramics) that were discovered during excavations are now on display at the Albert Museum in London as well as the Stone Town Museum in Stone Town, which is temporarily closed due to the collapse of a portion of the old palace.^[3] According to legend, Harun's wife requested that seeds be combined with the mortar to hold the little mosque known as Msikiti Chooko, or "the mosque of green grains," together. Several tombs, including Harun's, have been uncovered behind the mosque.^[4]

See also

• Historic Swahili settlements
• Archaeology of Pemba Island

References