Bagamoyo - Kaole Ruins

The Kaole Ruins are a major attraction just south of Bagamoyo. The ruins date back to the 13th C and consist of two mosques and 30 tombs. The older of the two mosques is thought to date to the third or fourth C, making it the oldest mosque on the mainland of East Africa. The mosque provides evidence indicating early contact between Africa and the Islamic world.

The tombs at Kaole were built from coral stones with stone pillars that marked some of the tombs. Traditions claim that some of the tombs are the graves of local rulers who were known as diwanis. The claim is that the diwanis were the descendants of the Sheikh Ali Muhamad al-Hatim al-Barawi, the most well known Sheikh along the coast. Kaole was originally settled by Muslims in 740 AD and would have been a trading town. Mangrove poles, sandalwood, ebony and ivory would have been the items to trade. The dwellings of the Kaole people were most likely constructed of wood making them less durable than the stone mosques and tombs.

The ruins can be reached on foot by following the beach past Kaole village and in to the mangrove swamps, the stone pillars are quite noticeable and will act as your guide, or visitors can travel the road past the College of Arts.