Kizimkazi Mosque

Kizimkazi Mosque
Misikiti wa kale wa Kizimkazi Dimbani
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Mosque
Ownership	Tanzanian Government
Location
Location	Dimbani, Kusini District, Unguja South Region
Country	Tanzania
Location in Tanzania
Administration	Antiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism
Geographic coordinates	6°26′10″S 39°27′45″E / 6.43611°S 39.46250°E / -6.43611; 39.46250
Architecture
Type	Mosque
Style	Swahili Islamic
Completed	1107 CE
Materials	Coral rag
Kizimkazi Mosque
Site notes
National Historic Sites of Tanzania
Official name	Kizimkazi Mosque
Type	Cultural
The oldest mosque that is still in use today in East Africa
[1]

The Kizimkazi Mosque, officially the Kizimkazi Dimbani Mosque (Swahili: Misikiti wa kale wa Kizimkazi Dimbani), is a mosque located in the town of Dimbani, in the Kusini District of Unguja South Region in Tanzania. It is situated on the southern tip of the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania and is one of the oldest Islamic buildings on the East African coast.^[2]

The mosque, in current use, was listed as a National Historic Site.^{[citation needed]}

Overview

Despite its name, it is located in Dimbani, not Kizimkazi, which is 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) away.^[a] According to a preserved kufic inscription, the mosque was built in 1107 CE.^[3] Although the inscription and certain coral-carved decorative elements date from the period of construction, the majority of the present structure was rebuilt in the 18th century.^[4]

Gallery

• 
  Kizimkazi Mosque interior in the 19th Century.
• 
  Kizimkazi Mosque Cemetery with pillar tombs
• 
  Information sign
• 
  Kizimkazi Mosque prayer hall
• 
  Swahili architecture magrove pool roofs at Kizimkazi Mosque

See also

• Islam portal
• Tanzania portal

• Islam in Tanzania
• List of mosques in Tanzania
• Historic Swahili Settlements

Notes

1. The official names of the two joined villages are Kizimkazi Dimbani and Kizimkazi Mtendeni.

References

1. "Antiquities Division". Retrieved July 21, 2022.
2. Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P.; Martin, B. G. (1973). "A Preliminary Handlist of the Arabic Inscriptions of the Eastern African Coast". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (2): 98–122. Retrieved July 24, 2022 – via JSTOR.
3. DE V. ALLEN, J (1982). "THE 'SHIRAZI' PROBLEM IN EAST AFRICAN COASTAL HISTORY". Paideuma. 28: 9–27. Retrieved July 24, 2022 – via JSTOR.
4. "Kizimkazi Mosque". ArchNet. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. n.d. Archived from the original on February 19, 2005. Retrieved September 4, 2010.

External links

• Media related to Kizimkazi Mosque at Wikimedia Commons