Tongoni Ruins
The Tongoni Ruins (Magofu ya kale ya Tongoni in Swahili) are a 15th century Swahili ruins of a mosque and forty tombs located in Tongoni ward in Tanga District inside Tanga Region of Tanzania. The area was a different place four to five centuries ago. Contrary to its almost unnoticed presence today, it was a prosperous and a respected Swahili trading centre during the 15th century. Most of the ruins are still not yet been uncovered.[2] The site is a registered National Historic Site.[3]
 Swahili Monumental Tomb | |
 .svg.png.webp){kind=icon} Shown within Tanzania | |
| Location | Tanga District, Tanga Region,  Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 6°22′59.88″S 39°33′0″E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Part of | Swahili Culture |
| History | |
| Builder | Swahili people |
| Material | Coral rag |
| Founded | 10th century AD |
| Abandoned | 16th century AD |
| Cultures | Swahili |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Endangered |
| Ownership | Tanzanian Government |
| Management | Antiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism [1] |
| Official name | Pangani Historic Town |
| Type | Cultural |
History
Tongoni was established around the tenth century by Swahili residents as part of the Swahili city states dotted along the East African coast.[4][5]
Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese sailor, first visited Tongoni in April 1498. He had the opportunity to eat the local oranges, which he said were better than those available in Portugal. He made a second visit the following year, and spent fifteen days in Tongoni.[6]
Management
The ruins at Tongoni are under the Tanzanian Antiquities department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The ruins are open to the public but there have been no Phase III excavations. Decades ago, a small test excavation was conducted at the site and a site plan was drawn.[7]
References
- "Antiquities Division". Retrieved 21 Jul 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Mabulla, Audax Z. P. (2000). "Strategy for Cultural Heritage Management (CHM) in Africa: A Case Study". The African Archaeological Review. 17 (4): 211–233. doi:10.1023/A:1006728309962. JSTOR 25130707. S2CID 142911818.
- "Antiquities Sites" (PDF). Retrieved 21 Jul 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Lane, Paul J. (2012). "Maritime and Shipwreck Archaeology in the Western Indian Ocean and Southern Red Sea: An Overview of Past and Current Research". Journal of Maritime Archaeology. 7 (1): 9–41. Bibcode:2012JMarA...7....9L. doi:10.1007/s11457-012-9102-0. JSTOR 43551368. S2CID 161059259.
- Askew, Kelly M. (1999). "Female Circles and Male Lines: Gender Dynamics along the Swahili Coast". Africa Today. 46 (3/4): 67–102. doi:10.1353/at.2003.0084. JSTOR 4187285. S2CID 144367188.
- Lane, Paul J. (2012). "Maritime and Shipwreck Archaeology in the Western Indian Ocean and Southern Red Sea: An Overview of Past and Current Research". Journal of Maritime Archaeology. 7 (1): 9–41. Bibcode:2012JMarA...7....9L. doi:10.1007/s11457-012-9102-0. JSTOR 43551368. S2CID 161059259.
- https://www.maliasili.go.tz/uploads/Mafanikio_ktk_Idara_ya_Mambo_ya_Kale.pdf