- For other places of the same name, see Kilwa (disambiguation).
| Kilwa Masoko | |
_(28963308352).jpg/210px-Great_Mosque_of_Kilwa_Kisiwani,_11th_-_18th_cents_(5)_(28963308352).jpg) | |
| The Great Mosque of Kilwa Kisiwani. | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Region | Coastline and South-East of Tanzania |
| Ocean | Indian Ocean |
| Watercourse | Mavuji |
| Population of the agglomeration | 13 601 hab. |
| Other language | (mgw) Matumbi |
| Postal code | 65408 |
| Spindle | UTC 03:00 |
| Location | |
 8 ° 56 ′ 42 ″ S 39 ° 30 ′ 43 ″ E | |
Kilwa Masoko is a port city of coastline and south-east in Tanzania. It is the sole starting point for visits to ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Understand
Toponymy
In the local dialect of Swahili (the matumbi), kilwa means "place where there is fish", which may correspond to a fishing port or a fish market. Masoko in unified Swahili is the plural of soko which means "market", "shopping center".
Bibliography
- Pascal Bacuez, Swahili tales of Kilwa = Hadithi za kiswahili kutoka Kilwa: Bilingual tales (folklore), Paris, L'Harmattan, , 142 p.(ISBN 978-2-7384-9748-2 )(OCLC45505612) - Texts in French and Swahili.
- Gabriel Ferrand, The Sultans of Kilwa (history), Paris, Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, , 260 p.(OCLC220162969)
To go
By plane
- 1 Kilwa Masoko Airfield (Kilwa Masoko Airport IATA : KIY) – Regional aerodrome with daily connections, operated by Coastal Aviation, towards Chake-Chake, Dar es Salaam, Kilindoni, Selous, Tanga and Zanzibar City.
By public transport
From madaladala and mabasi connects Kilwa Masoko to Nangurukuru and Kilwa Kivinje.
- 2 Madaladala station Nangurukuru - Kilwa Road – The madaladala and the mabasi go to the harbor jetty but the main station is in front of the market.
By car
From Dar es Salaam or from Mtwara, take the national road (Trunk road) in bituminous mix no 7, but numbered B2, until 1 Nangurukuru . Then take, on 30 km, the road, still in asphalt, to Kilwa Masoko.
Circulate
To see
Apart from the white sand beaches, Kilwa Masoko has no places of interest to visit. Rather, it is the obligatory departure center for visits to Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara, excursions that take between half a day to a full day.
Do
To buy
Eat
Have a drink / Go out
Housing
- 1 Kilwa Dreams (Masoko pwani beach),
255 784 585330, e-mail : [email protected] – Rooms in cottages. Bar and restaurant. On the beach. Organization of sea fishing days. - 2 Kilwa Pakaya Hotel Beach Street, 1 (Jimbiza beach), 255 783 789738, e-mail : [email protected] room available from 13 h, to be released before 10 h.
about 140 $ the double room. – 
free. 
(for the rooms on the ground floor). 20 single and double rooms with balcony overlooking the ocean. Bar and restaurant overlooking the beach. Free private parking. - 3 Kilwastar Beach Resort (Masoko pwani beach), 255 784 305793 room available from 8 h, to be released before 10 h. Between 22 $ and 44 $. –
(between 2 and 6 steps at the entrance depending on the pavilion). 12 pavilions with kitchenette for 1 or 3 people. On the beach. Bar, no restaurant but breakfast served in your room. Free private parking. - 4 Kimbilio Lodge Kariakoo Street (Jimbiza beach), 255 65 6022166 room available from 7 h, to be released before 14 h. Between 100 $ and 120 $ breakfast included. – free. 6 chalets for 2 or 3 people. On the beach. Bar and restaurant with covered terrace. Free private parking. Pets accepted free of charge on request. Organization of aquatic activities.
about 
free. 
(for the rooms on the ground floor). 20 single and double rooms with balcony overlooking the ocean. Bar and restaurant overlooking the beach. Free private parking.
Communicate
Manage the day-to-day
Bank
- 1 NMB (National Microfinance Bank) Nangurukuru - Kilwa Road, 255 23 2013072 – NoATM
Health
- 2 Masoko Urban Health Center Kariakoo Street – Public dispensary with a maternity ward.
Security
Around
The Great Mosque of Kilwa Kisiwani.
Two sites that were high places of swahili culture are registered at Unesco World Heritage since 1981 but also placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004.
- Kilwa Kisiwani Island (South) – Kisiwani means "island" in the local dialect of Swahili. This name only appeared XIXe century to distinguish it from other "Kilwa".
- 1 Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani – 50 $ including the boat ride from Kilwa Masoko, guide and entrance to the site. The trips and the visit last half a day.
Kilwa, was occupied from IXe to XIXe century and reached the peak of its prosperity in the XIIIe and XIVe centuries. Capital of Kilwa sultanate from 957 to 1506, the city even minted its own currency between XIe and the XIVe century. This prosperity was due to the control of maritime trade on the Indian Ocean allowing trade with the Middle East, the'India and the China. It was, among other things, one of the three most important slave markets in theEast Africa with Zanzibar and Mogadishu and obtained, to the detriment of Mogadishu, the monopoly of the gold trade from the present day South East Zimbabwe.- 2 Makutani Palace (Makutani palace, Husini ndogo) – In the local dialect of Swahili, husini means "strong", "fortress" and is derived from theArabالحصن which means "castle". Ndogo means "small" in unified Swahili and this name is in comparison with the larger area of the more recent palace of Husini kubwa. Built in debris of coral stones bound by aerial lime mortar, it is more or less rectangular in shape, with an area of approximately 1 400 m2 and its foundations sink more than two meters below the ground. The oldest parts, which seem to have been used, among other things, as a mosque, date from the end of the VIIe century. The palace is surrounded by a perimeter, of approximately 2,7 Ha, protected by a surrounding wall where there are remains of houses and other buildings, public places and a necropolis.
- 3 Great mosque – Built in XIe century and considerably enlarged at the beginning of the XIVe century by the Sultan of Kilwa Abu al-Mawahib al-Hassan ibn Suleiman, it is the oldest surviving mosque on the coast ofEast Africa. Its roof is completely made up of domes and has many vaults, some of which are decorated with embedded Chinese porcelain. Its sixteen bays, supported by nine pillars, have alternating domes and vaults testifying to the unique character of its architectural plan. Its main dome of XIVe century remained the largest in East Africa until the XIXe century.
- 4 Kilwa Fort (Gereza forteress, Gereza prison) – Gereza means "prison" in unified Swahili, the name of "Gereza prison", as on the UNESCO website, is therefore a pleonasm. Built in coral stone in 1506 by the Portuguese, all that remains from this period is the round tower to the right of the entrance. Rectangular in shape, with dimensions of 32 m out of 26, it was rebuilt by the Omanis in XVIIIe century and abandoned, like the entire city in 1840. Consolidated and partly restored between 2009 and 2011, the fort remains in danger due to coastal erosion by rising sea levels.
- 5 Husini Palace (Husini kubwa) – Kubwa means "big" in unified Swahili and this name is in comparison with the smaller area of the older palace of Husini ndogo. Built, outside the city, at the beginning of the XIVe century by the Sultan of Kilwa Abu al-Mawahib al-Hassan ibn Suleiman in block of coral stone, some of which are a meter high, it is perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. Outbuildings included, it extends over two hectares and is made up of three main areas: to the south, a emporium which allowed the Sultan to directly control trade, a residential complex comprising more than a hundred individual rooms as well as a vast octagonal swimming pool and, on the beachfront, a mosque connected to the residential complex by a vast staircase and which constituted the main entrance to the palace.
- 1 Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani –
- Songo Mnara Island (South) – In the local dialect of Swahili, songo means "point", "heading" and mnara means "tower".
- 6 Ruins of Songo Mnara – the visit can be organized in conjunction with the visit to the ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani. The activity then lasts a whole day. Busy from XIVe to XVIe century, Songo Mnara is smaller than its neighbor Kilwa. The ruins extend over an area of approximately 34 Ha and include six mosques, four cemeteries and two blocks of a dozen houses with three enclosed spaces.
- 6 Ruins of Songo Mnara –
Another site also listed on Unesco World Heritage since 1982 can be reached from Kilwa Masoko. However, located more than 200 km and difficult to access by road, it is preferable to get there by plane with the daily flight operated by Coastal Aviation.
- 7 Selous Game Reserve (Selous Game Reserve) (West) – Elephants, black rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles live in large numbers in this immense sanctuary of 50,000 km2 remained almost safe from man. The park includes areas of varied vegetation, from dense thickets to clear wooded meadows.
