History & Heritage

Tanzania has a diversity of cultures and great world historical discoveries which all together made a great history of our nation. Our historical places gives people a clear picture about our culture, traditional tools and art work. Scattered around Tanzania our attracting historical sites includes the following:-

• Engaruka Ruins
• Ismila Stone Age Site
• Kaole Ruins
• Kondoa Irangi Rock Paintings
• Mikindani
• Olduvai Gorge
• Kondoa Irangi Rock Paintings
• Tanzania Museums
• Other Sites
  • Amboni Caves
  • Changuu Island [prison Island]
  • Kidichi Persian Baths
  • Mangapwani Slave Chambers
  • Maruhubi Palace Ruins
  • Mbweni Palace Ruins
  • Stone Town
  • The House of Wonders
  • The Old Arab Fort

Engaruka Ruins

Engaruka ruins are located in the Great Rift Valley in northern tourism circuit of Tanzania. Engaruka is located about 63 kilometers north of Mto wa Mbu, towards the road to Oldoinyo Lengai and Lake Natron. These ruins are lying at the foot of the rift valley escarpment and are one among the most important archaeological sites in Tanzania.

An Iron Age farmer community [around 15th century], several thousand people had involved in irrigation and cultivation system, involving a stone-block canal channelling water from the crater highlands or a wide steep slope to stone lined cultivation terraces.

Key attractions while visiting the ruins include the following:-

• Ancient historical ruins with abandoned remnants of the developed irrigation system, old graves, old irrigation canals, and terraces and house walls towards the ruin site
• Birds and Animals, cattle graze by Maasai along with herds of zebras and birds

When to go

• Dry season [July – October] for large mammals
• Wet season [November – June]

Isimila Stone Age

Isimila Stone Age site located in Iringa, the Southern Highland Tourism Circuit of Tanzania became famous after the discovery of Stone Age Tools and Fossilized Bones discovered in 1951.

Key attractions while visiting the Isimila Stone Age include the following:-

• Forest Reserve in the mountains within tea plantations
• Rich collections of Stone Age tools
• Scenic beauty of the place brought by existence of spectacular sandstone pillars that are carved out by an extinct river

When to go

• Dry season [July – October] for large mammals
• Wet season [November – June]

Kaole Ruins

Kaole ruins include coral mosques and Shirazi-style pillared tombs, are the oldest in Tanzania and East Africa. Date back to the 13th century, are the ruins of a Arab town which was declined after the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century. The tombs at Kaole were built from coral stones and stone pillars and believed that are the graves of local rulers who were known then as Diwanis and other well known Sheikhs who have lived along the coastal area.

Key attractions while visiting the Kaole Ruins include the following features:-

• Ancient Mosques ruins consisting ancient mosques
• 30 Ancient tombs ruins

When to go

• Dry season [July – October] for large mammals
• Wet season [November – June]

Kondoa Irangi Rock Paintings

Kondoa Irangi Hills located in the central Tourism Circuit of Tanzania contains one of the world’s finest collections of prehistoric rock paintings with an estimated 1,600 individual paintings within two hundred different sites. The painted images represent both hunter-gatherers and agro-pastoralist ways of life, depicting the changing lifestyles over the past two thousand years. This is the latest Tanzania’s World heritage site.

The paintings are believed to have been created by the ancestors of the Sandawe and Hadzabe tribes, the current bushman of Tanzania, and containing caves paintings which are believed that are more than 1,500 years back.

Location & Getting There

Located between Singida and Kondoa in the Central Tourism Circuit of Tanzania.
Accessibility is by road, the Kondoa rock paintings about 20 kilometers north of Kondoa, 9 kilometers off the Kondoa – Arusha highway, and about 275 km southwest of Arusha [Northern Circuit].

What to do

• Site seeing
• Hiking
• Camping
• People and Culture – Swahili

When to go

• Dry season [July – October] for large mammals
• Wet season [November – June]

Olduvai Gorge

The Olduvai Gorge located in the northern tourism circuit of Tanzania at the border of the Ngorongoro conservation area and the Serengeti National Park was discovered in 1930s by Mary and Louis Leakey when searching for earliest stone tools in east Africa. In 1959 Mary found remains Zinjanthropus boisei, stone tools and flakes at the site, and the first specimen of Homo habilis, a jaw fragment in 1960 by Louis Leakey’s son Jonathan. Based on findings at Olduvai Gorge, and other places in Tanzania, scientists concluded that modern humans made their first appearance in Tanzania, East Africa.

Key attractions while visiting the Olduvai Gorge include the following features:-

• Historical discoveries remains of Zinjanthropus boisei, Stone tools and the first specimen of Homo habilis, a jaw fragment
• Ancient historical remains of stone tools, animal bones, early hominid, and fossilized footprints preserved in volcanic rock dated back to 3.6 million years old
• Shifting sand originated from volcanic ash of the Mount Oldonyo Lengai volcanic eruption

When to go

• Dry season [July – October] for large mammals
• Wet season [November – June]

Tanzania Museums

Sultan Palace Museum

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Key attractions while visiting the Sultan Palace Museum include the following features:-

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When to go

• All year round

The Peace Memorial Museum

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Key attractions while visiting the Sultan Palace Museum include the following features:-

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When to go

• All year round

Other Historical Sites

Tanzania is a country with an extraordinary history to an abundance of historical sites. Below are some of the most significant historical sites in Tanzania that are well worth visit during holiday vacation safaris in Tanzania. Key attractions while visiting are detailed as follows:-

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Amboni CavesLocated about 8 km north of Tanga in the Northern Tourism Circuit, the Amboni caves were formed naturally in series and are believed to be formed during the Jurassic Age some 150 million years ago. These caves are the most extensive cave system in East Africa estimated to extend over an area of 234 square kilometres and the area was under water some 20 million years ago.

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Changuu IslandLocated in Zanzibar, Changuu Island which is also known as Prison Island was owned and used by Arab for ‘rebellious’ slaves. Later was converted into being a prison after being sold to one of a British general in 1893, and a a quarantine station for East Africa in colonial times, and now a historical site with opportunities for snorkelling, wind surfing and sailing grounds.

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Kidichi Persian BathsLocated north-east of Zanzibar town about 15km, were built by Sultan Seyyid Said in 1850 for his wife and decorated in a Persian style. These sites are on the highest point of Zanzibar island.

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Mangapwani Slave ChambersLocated north of Zanzibar Town, Mangapwani Slave Chambers are large man-made slave cave with a narrow entrance and a pool of fresh water at its lowest point. The Slave Cave was used to hold and hide slaves.

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Maruhubi Palace RuinsLocated about 4km north of Zanzibar town, Maruhubi Palace Ruins were built in 1882 by Sultan Barghash for his harem of 99 women. Completely destroyed by fire in 1899, the remains are the pillars and aqueducts which brought water to the palace from the nearby springs.

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Mbweni Palace RuinsEstablished and built in 1871 to rescue slaves by the Universities Mission to Central Africa, was a holiday resort of Sultan Seyyid Barghash and a excellent breezing position. In 1882, St John’s Church was built in the same place to release slaves. There is a fine carved door and a tower.

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The House of WondersThe House of Wonders built in 1883 is a large square shaped building, surrounded by tiers of pillars and balconies, and topped by a large clock tower. It was a ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash and was the first in Zanzibar to have electric light and an electric lift. It wa named by the local people “Beit el Ajaib”, meaning the House of Wonders.

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The Old Arab FortThe Old Arab Fort is an architectural wonder built by the Omani Arabs in 1710. The Fort was used as a prison for war criminals, later as army barracks, and as the depot and workshop for the Bububu railway line. In 1949, its courtyard was constructed to become a “ladies’ tennis club” and later renovated to a “theatre and cultural centre”.

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