The East African Coast has been in contact with many strange cultures from different continents. Along the east African coast different cities are found, characterised by the same culture, same architecture, same tradition. Who are the people in this cities? are they a tribe, a community ? No one may know, but the are the Swahili people "Waswahili", some of the known groups are "Wanyamwezi" and "Thenashara Taifa"
Living in regrouped communities they formed small towns : Gedi, Manda, Kilwa, Malinda, Lamu Island, Pate, Siyu, Ishakani. The middle age of the Swahili World is know to be between 1400 and 1700. During this period the first documented contact of Europe and Swahili World was done by Portuguese. The principal architecture features of the Swahili World were divided into five : Palaces, houses, mosques, wells in isolation and tombs. All of these structures had a common point which is the materials used, mainly stones, coral blocks and plaster. Due to the social hierarchy some houses were build using timber, "Nyumba ya miti". The one built using stone were called "Nyumba ya mawe".
The presence of mosques in the Swahili settlements is a proof of great collaboration with Arabs. In 1600s, economic power and dominant military by Portuguese occurred in the Indian Ocean, where they started to control Mombasa the flourishing Port City. Three years later, the Yarubi Dynasty of Oman sent Mazrui and Baluchi forces to help the Thenashara Taifa to expel the Portuguese. Characterised with decorated vaults and rectangles forms at the entrance and raised pillars. One pillar in the middle of the structure to support the roof. Walls were done with raw plaster. Mostly, in a settlement, the mosque was always in the middle, for example in Gedi the historic town. Gedi was surrounded by 2 walls.The inner wall included the mosque, and two tombs.
Mihrab of the 15th-16th century mosque at Takwa.
Tombs, being one of the relevant structures in Swahili culture, they were given a special attention in regard to the design, ornaments. The honour given to the death in swahili culture was strong to go up to the generations which would already be forgetting the name of the death. Tombs decorated in a special way, the higher was the social consideration of the death the more decorated would be his tombs. Tombs had either a pillar, a dome or lined. A sculpture above the entrance of the domed Tomb in Siyu, Pate Island. Can either be an expression a certain supremacy of the death. And a repetition of squares.
Blank panels at Ishakani Tombs. From the purity of shapes and forms we can tell how imaginative Swahili architects and builders were.The squares on top, and the rectangle on the lower part.
Decorations on non-blank panels were done in diagrams, with geometric figures, human figures, depending on the message to be sent by the design.
Pillar tomb in Gedi the historic town. The tomb being in the middle of the town, with the mosque and the well can take to conclude that the dead was an important person to the town. Either a former leader or a puissant person who marked the history of the Gedi.
The case of Mombasa the Port city is interesting. Mombasa has been in traders from many empires for many years. Great Zimbabwe, Portugal and Ottoman have been in regular with Mombasa. The Urban fabric of Mombasa was developed folloeing the called "Ndia Kuu" meaning the main street. All the other streets developed parallel to the Ndia Kuu.
Indian and Arab marchands were trading on a bigger scale in Mombasa, we describe Mombasa to be trading city since it was provided access to all the products coming from the inland of Africa. Though a higher influence in architecture style is observed while an Architecture out of place is being developed since some of the marchands are settling in the city. The Swahili traditional architecture is disappearing with this progressive intrusion of different cultures, where the area is having a multi-cultural community. This is one of the probable factors that caused the decline of the Swahili Culture. A theory about the decrease in the annual rainfall being the cause of the decline of most the swahili town. Lastly, War is one of major causes too, when one town is attacked by nomad people, the used to move in one another Swahili town where they will workers and this contributes to the flourishing of the town.
Ruins of an eighteenth-century stone mansion in the Lamu Archipelago, circa 1885. This interior lime plaster wall is covered with dozens of miniature niches (zidaka).
Africa has known Golden Ages more than what we think we know.
This is good. Well done on the research. Hope to read more informative pieces like this soon!