Chwaka (''Magofu ya mji wa kale wa Chwaka'' in
Swahili ) is a Medieval
Swahili historic site next to the village of Chwaka located in
Micheweni District
Micheweni District (''Wilaya ya Micheweni'' in Swahili) is one of two administrative districts of Pemba North Region in Tanzania. The district covers an area of . The district is comparable in size to the land area of Cook Islands. The district ...
of
Pemba North Region
Pemba North Region or North Pemba Region (''Mkoa wa Pemba Kaskazini'' in Swahili) is one of the 31 regions of Tanzania. The region covers an area of . The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Saint Luc ...
. There is an excavated Swahili mosque on the site. The location of these ruins is 6 km from the small town of Konde, at the end of a trail that extends 900 meters in the direction of the village of Tumbe on the way to the village of Myumoni.
The archaeological site is clearly marked from the road and is open to the public. On the entire island of Pemba, these ruins are among the best kept. This location has early 13th-century inscriptions. However, Harun Bin Ali, the son of Mkame Ndune of Pujini. The settlement, which covered an area of 20 hectares, featured a grand palace-fortress, banquet halls, two mosques, an ironworks, and a harbor in a nearby creek. The town was ababdonded in the 16th century.
The massive mosque's walls and its gate arches are still in place today. Remains (bowls, ceramics) that were discovered during excavations are now on display at the
Albert Museum in London as well as the Stone Town Museum in
Stone Town
Stonetown of Zanzibar ( ar, مدينة زنجبار الحجرية), also known as Mji Mkongwe ( Swahili for "old town"), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng'ambo ...
, which is temporarily closed due to the collapse of a portion of the old palace. According to legend, Harun's wife requested that seeds be combined with the mortar to hold the little mosque known as Msikiti Chooko, or "the mosque of green grains," together. Several tombs, including Harun's, have been uncovered behind the mosque.
See also
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Historic Swahili Settlements
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Archaeology of Pemba Island
Pemba Island is a large coral island off the coast of Tanzania. Inhabited by Bantu settlers from the Tanga coast since 600 AD, the island has a rich trading, agricultural, and religious history that has contributed to the studies of the Swahili ...
References
{{PembaNorth-geo-stub
Swahili people
Swahili city-states
Swahili culture
Pemba Island