Kaole Ruins

Just south of Bagamoyo time slides several centuries further into the past at the Kaole ruins. At its centre are the remains of a 13th-century mosque, which is one of the oldest in mainland Tanzania and also one of the oldest in East Africa. It was built in the days when the Sultan of Kilwa held sway over coastal trade, and long before Bagamoyo had assumed any significance. Nearby is a second mosque dating to the 15th century, as well as about 22 graves, many of which go back to the same period. Among the graves are several Shirazi pillar-style tombs reminiscent of those at Tongoni, but in somewhat better condition, and a small museum housing Chinese pottery fragments and other remnants found in the area. Just east of the ruins, past a dense stand of mangroves, is the old harbour, now silted, that was in use during Kaole’s heyday.