Kilwa Kisiwani

Kilwa Kisiwani
Great Mosque of Kilwa interior
Type	Settlement
Location	Kilwa District, Lindi Region,  Tanzania
Coordinates	8°57′36″S 39°30′46″E / 8.9600°S 39.5128°E / -8.9600; 39.5128
Built	9th century
Architectural style(s)	Swahili architecture
Governing body	Antiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism[1]
Owner	Tanzania Government
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii
Designated	1981 (5th session)
Reference no.	144
UNESCO Region	Africa
Endangered	2004–2014
National Historic Sites of Tanzania
Official name	Kilwa Kisiwani Ruins
Type	Cultural
Location of Kilwa Kisiwani in Tanzania

Kilwa Kisiwani ('Kilwa Island') is an island, national historic site, and hamlet community located in the township of Kilwa Masoko, the district seat of Kilwa District in the Tanzanian region of Lindi in southern Tanzania. Kilwa Kisiwani is the largest of the nine hamlets in the town of Kilwa Masoko and is also the least populated hamlet in the township with fewer than 1,000 residents.

At its peak in the Middle Ages, Kilwa had over 10,000 inhabitants. Since 1981, the entire island of Kilwa Kisiwani has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the nearby ruins of Songo Mnara. Despite its significant historic reputation, Kilwa Kisiwani is still home to a small and resilient community of natives who have inhabited the island for centuries. Kilwa Kisiwani is one of the seven World Heritage Sites in Tanzania.^[2] Additionally, the site is a registered National Historic Site of Tanzania.^[3]