Kilwa Kivinje (Kilwa of the Casuarina Trees) owes its
existence to Omani Arabs from Kilwa Kisiwani who set up a base here in the
early 19th century following the fall of the Kilwa sultanate. By the mid-19th
century the settlement had become the hub of the regional slave-trading
network, and by the late 19th century, a German administrative centre. With the
abolishment of the slave trade, and German wartime defeats, Kilwa Kivinje’s
brief period in the spotlight came to an end. Today, it’s a crumbling,
moss-covered and atmospheric relic of the past with a Swahili small-town feel
and an intriguing mixture of German colonial and Omani Arab architecture.
The most interesting section
of town is around the old German Boma (administrative
office). The street behind the boma is
lined with small houses, many with carved Zanzibar-style
doorways. Nearby is a Mosque, which
locals claim has been in continuous use since the 14th century, and a warren of
back streets where you can absorb a slice of coastal life, with children
playing on the streets and women sorting huge trays of dagga (tiny sardines) for drying in the
sun. Just in from here on the water is the bustling Dhow Port, where brightly painted vessels set
off regularly for Songo Songo, Mafia and other coastal
ports.
The
best way to visit Kilwa Kivinje is as an easy half-day or day trip from Kilwa
Masoko. The Kilwa Islands Tour Guides Association organises day cycling trips
from Kilwa Masoko for about US$25 per person. Overnight options are limited to
a clutch of nondescript guesthouses near the market, all with rooms for about
Tsh10,000, and each rivalling the others in grubbiness