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Archaelogical Sites

General

The Kua Ruins, across the Bay from Kinasi, is an archaeological site from the 12th Century, established by settlers from Kilwa.The principle mosque, with its superb mihrab and the Great House are interesting features.There are many giant baobab trees throughout the area which also offers lovely views of Chole Bay. All over the ruins you can readily dig up pottery shards, some dating hundreds of years to Chinese and Persian origins.

Guided excursions are also arranged to the islands and village communities of Chole and Jibondo.The boat building on both these islands is justly famous throughout East Africa. All traditional methods are used with hand tools and hand forged nails to create the jahazis, dhows, mashuas and ngalawas you will see in Mafia. Ropes are hand woven from coir (coconut fibre) and sails sewn from rough cotton sheeting (madrouf)

There are also ruins of early settlements on Chole, which was the capital of Mafia until the 20th Century. At Kisimani Mafia an old town has been submerged. This was fully excavated in the 1970s. Kisimani Mafia is at the far south-western tip of Mafia and is an all day excursion. Kirongwe village famous for its clay pots, Jimbo for its ukili mats, Mrora Forest, Ras Mbizi coconut plantation and Kitoni, the oldest settled area on the main island. On Chole Island and at the mosque near Kinasi the giant flying fox (Pteropus) can be seen in roosts.

Kisimani Mafia (from Chittick, 1974)

The early colonists of the coast of East Africa evidently had a preference for the islands, presumably because they were easier to defend. The islands in the Mafia group have several remains of the settlements of these Arab or "Shirazi" immigrants, of which those near the western tip of the island, Ras Kisimani, appear to be the earliest. The locality, which at the present day possesses only a few houses among plantations of coconuts and cassava, is now called Kisimani Mafia. It seems, however, that the original name was simply Mafia, the island is itself Chole Shamba and the present Chole island termed Chole Mjini, by which names they have been known to the inhabitants until very recently, if not until the present day. At Ras Kisimani deep water extends close to the shore, and all ships sailing up and down the coast pass very close to the cape. The shelving beach is protected from the north-east monsoon, and to some extent from the effects of the south-east also. Fresh water is available at no great depth, so that all in all the position is favorable for a trading town. Baumann recommended that the port and administrative headquarters should be transferred here in German times, but his advice was not followed.

The Kilwa Chronicle tells us that the sons of Ali ibn al-Hussein, first Sultan of Kilwa, settled on Mafia, and it is probable that, if the tradition is correct, they established themselves at Kisimani. Mafia remained subject to Kilwa for many centuries, but probably enjoyed periods of independence, notably at the end of the 14th Century when Sulaiman ibn al-Hussein may have established himself as ruler of the island after his expulsion from Kilwa, and perhaps at the end of the 15th Century, to which date the coins of Da'ud ibn al-Hasan, who does not appear among the recorded sultans of Kilwa, may be ascribed.

The surviving ruins at Kisimani Mafia, which considering the former importance of the place, are not very impressive, were studied by Chittick in 1973. They are mentioned by Baumann, who records a tradition, evidently correct, that they are older than those at Kua on Juani Island. Revington relates a tradition that the town was built by the Wadibri and a story of a quarrel with the people of Kua. Piggott gives the name of the earliest inhabitants as Wadebuli and contradicts the story of remains of buildings being visible below the sea and also records another version of the story of the quarrel with Kua. Voeltzkow recounts the findings of treasure at the site in 1847. Walker, in his first publication of coins of Kilwa type, describes many which almost certainly came form Kisimani Mafia, as pointed out by Freeman-Renville. The latter briefly describes the remains to be seen in the cliff and on the shore, as well as the pottery found on the surface, and analyses the finds of coins.

The settlement was situated on the south side of Ras Kisimani, the northern end being about a kilometer from the tip of the cape. There are traces of buildings and occupation debris for a distance of some 400 metres along the shore and the town seems to have extended inland at least 250 metres.

The only building of which much remains standing is a ruined mosque, which is thought to be of later date than the main period of occupation of the site, and is situated to the south-west of the main area of settlement. This is a simple, rather plain building, unusually long in proportion to its width. There was probably a central row of pillars, but no trace of these is visible, the body of the mosque being encumbered with debris. The western and southern walls have collapsed; the eastern wall is pierced by two arched doorways, above which are long slots for reinforcing beams. Between the doors is a sizeable cupboard in the thickness of the wall, with arched top, and formerly with a shelf at mid-height. In the north (qibla) wall are two small, very narrow windows above, and to the side of, the mihrab. The mihrab itself is enclosed in a rectangular frame of cut stone; the arch is recessed in the usual fashion. To judge by the quantity of debris, the roof was of stone.

Part of the mihrab of a second mosque survives, but the rest of the building has quite disappeared. This mosque is situated some distance to the west of the first, and was hidden in very thick bush. The lower part of the mihrab is ornamented with miniature square pilasters which resemble those of the excavated mosque and with which it is likely to be contemporary and so of 15th century date. The stub of a finely cut five-sided pilaster with a moulded base can also be seen; this must have supported the inner part of the mihrab arch. The false arches which rest on the square pilasters are surmounted by a frieze of very unusual and perhaps unique design. The dome of the mihrab is lacking; the floor is of hard white plaster. Nearby are some graves, almost completely destroyed.

The shore is littered with pottery, including eastern Mediterranean or Persian sgraffiato ware, celadon, blue and green-glazed Islamic ware, white Chinese porcelain and blue-and white ware; many coins have also been found. There is also much broken stonework on the beach, as well as massive blocks of solid masonry, perhaps part of the foundations of buildings. Three wells are visible, one of which stands to a height of some two metres, the soil in which it was sunk having evidently been washed away. There is also much evidence of erosion in the cliff behind, where up to two metres of stratified deposits can be seen; various stone walls can also be observed in the section. Erosion continues; coconut trees which have recently fallen on to the beach may be seen all along this coast. The big well from which Mafia derives its name, is now on the beach and no longer used.

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Kua Ruins [+]

Chole ruins [+]

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