KILWA: A PORTUGUESE FORT IN TANZANIA

Photos by Alan Sutton
The Portuguese fort of Kilwa Kisiwani is on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1981.
Inscription criteria: Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara 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, pearls, perfumes, Arabian crockery, Persian earthenware and Chinese porcelain; much of the trade in the Indian Ocean thus passed through their hands.
In 2004 it was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.


Portuguese Fort, Kilwa, Tanzania
Detail of the entrance gate, Portuguese Fort, Kilwa, Tanzania
Portuguese Fort, Kilwa, Tanzania
Interior view of the Tower, Portuguese Fort, Kilwa, Tanzania
Entrance Gate, Portuguese Fort, Kilwa, Tanzania
Fossilised coral that was used for the fort construction, Portuguese Fort, Kilwa, Tanzania

Kilwa: a Portuguese Fort in Tanzania, Africa