♜ In the Middle Ages Kilwa was the most important city of the swahili coast of Oriental Africa. The monuments on the islands of Kilwa, Kisiwani and Songo Mnara are the witnesses of the city's role in the Indian Ocean trade and economy. 

 

Those urban complexes still show major architectural elements : the mosque and the palace dating back the 12-15th centuries and an omani fort from the 18th century. They were listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1981 but have never been restored since then. Nowadays they are very little used for tourism and barely accessible. Coastal erosion, vegetation, rainwater and stone plundering threaten this exceptional heritage. 

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GOALS

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Stimulating the region's development through rational and sustainable tourism (which favours job creation, living standards improvement, the evolution of infrastructures and services...)

Preserving and valuing this archeological, architectural and historical sites

Improving the reception of the sites, its interpretation and educational tools

Progressing in the knowledge oh the site's history and in its popularization

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PARTNERS

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Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism

District Council and Villages Council

UNESCO

French Ambassy

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

French Ministry of Youth and Sports

Archipat, an heritage architects office

Japanese Ambassy