Chole Island Ruins Explained

Chole Island Ruins
Map Type:Tanzania
Relief:yes
Location:Chole Island of Jibondo ward,
Mafia District,
Pwani Region,
Type:Settlement
Material:Coral rag
Condition:Endangered
Ownership:Tanzanian Government
Management:Antiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism [1]
Designation1:NHST
Designation1 Offname:Chole Island Historic Site
Designation1 Type:Cultural

Chole Island Ruins (Magofu ya kale ya Kisiwa cha Chole in Swahili) is a national historic site located on Chole Island of Jibondo ward in Mafia District of Pwani Region in Tanzania. The ruined mosques are from the 14th century, whereas other remains that have survived are often considerably more recent, from the 18th century. Even though the remains are in disrepair and are difficult to navigate, the largest standing ruin is a massive double-story building with stone staircases and a labyrinth of anterooms.[2] [3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Antiquities Division. 21 Jul 2022.
  2. Web site: Skinner . Annabel . Tanzania Safari Guide; Chole Island, The Indian Ocean . Tanzania Safari Blog . 1 March 2013 .
  3. Walley . Christine J. . Our Ancestors Used to Bury Their 'Development' in the Ground: Modernity and the Meanings of Development within a Tanzanian Marine Park . Anthropological Quarterly . 2003 . 76 . 1 . 33–54 . 10.1353/anq.2003.0015 . 3318360 . 143195477 .
  4. Christie, Annalisa C. "Exploring the social context of maritime exploitation in Tanzania between the 14th-18th c. AD: recent research from the Mafia Archipelago." Prehistoric marine resource use in the Indo-Pacific regions (2013): 97-122.