Kaole
Encyclopedia
Kaole is a small town and an archaeological site
in Tanzania
, located halfway between Bagamoyo
and Dar es Salaam
, on the Indian Ocean
coast. The "Kaole Ruins", dating back to a period between the 13th century and the 16th century, are what remains of an ancient muslim
Shirazi
settlement. The archaeological site has two mosques and 30 tomb
s. One of the buildings is the most ancient known mosque
in East Africa
. Tombs are built with coral rag
, with column
s; according to oral history
, the diwanis are buried there, i.e., the local sultans, descendants of Ali Muhamad al-Hatim al-Barawi. A small museum has been established, where some artifacts are exposed that were found in the ruins. Some of these artifacts are Chinese
and thus provide evidence of ancient commercial relationships between the swahili
/shirazi
civilization and the Far East.
, Pumbuji declined and was eventually deserted. Later on, the Zaramo
people in the area called the place Kalole, meaning "go and see", probably as an expression of wonder and admiration for the buildings left behind by the Shirazi. The Shirazi buildings were gradually ruined by humidity
and the advance of mangrove
s. The first to study the Kaole Ruins was the british
archaeologist Neville Chittick
, around 1958.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, located halfway between Bagamoyo
Bagamoyo
The town of Bagamoyo, Tanzania, was founded at the end of the 18th century. It was the original capital of German East Africa and was one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast...
and Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, on the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
coast. The "Kaole Ruins", dating back to a period between the 13th century and the 16th century, are what remains of an ancient muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Shirazi
Shirazi
- People :*Shirazi , a social group among the Swahili people of East Africa*Grand Ayatollah Mirza Hassan Shirazi, the leading marja of his time, and is widely known for his 1891 fatwa against the usage of tobacco...
settlement. The archaeological site has two mosques and 30 tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s. One of the buildings is the most ancient known mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Tombs are built with coral rag
Coral rag
Coral rag is a rubbly limestone composed of ancient coral reef material. The term also refers to the building blocks quarried from these strata which are an important local building material in areas such as the east African coast and the Caribbean basin .It is also the name of a member — the Coral...
, with column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s; according to oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
, the diwanis are buried there, i.e., the local sultans, descendants of Ali Muhamad al-Hatim al-Barawi. A small museum has been established, where some artifacts are exposed that were found in the ruins. Some of these artifacts are Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and thus provide evidence of ancient commercial relationships between the swahili
Swahili people
The Swahili people are a Bantu ethnic group and culture found in East Africa, mainly in the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya, Tanzania and north Mozambique. According to JoshuaProject, the Swahili number in at around 1,328,000. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil,...
/shirazi
Shirazi
- People :*Shirazi , a social group among the Swahili people of East Africa*Grand Ayatollah Mirza Hassan Shirazi, the leading marja of his time, and is widely known for his 1891 fatwa against the usage of tobacco...
civilization and the Far East.
History
The Shirazi settlement at Kaole was founded in the 13th century, and was called Pumbuji. At the end of the Shirazi EraShirazi era
The "Shirazi era" refers to a period in the history of East Africa , between the 13th century and 15th century, when Persian city-states were founded on the eastern coast of Africa as well as on its islands...
, Pumbuji declined and was eventually deserted. Later on, the Zaramo
Zaramo
The Zaramo are a Bantu people who are based in eastern Tanzania, particularly in the area around Dar es Salaam, the Pugu Hills, and Bagamoyo. In 2000 the Zaramo population was estimated to number 656,730.-References:*...
people in the area called the place Kalole, meaning "go and see", probably as an expression of wonder and admiration for the buildings left behind by the Shirazi. The Shirazi buildings were gradually ruined by humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
and the advance of mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s. The first to study the Kaole Ruins was the british
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
archaeologist Neville Chittick
Neville Chittick
Dr. Neville H. Chittick was a British scholar and archaeologist. His expeditions and residence in East Africa produced a body of research into the ancient and pre-colonial sites of Aksum, Hafun, Kilwa Kisiwani, and the port of Manda Island...
, around 1958.