Kizimkazi Mosque
The Kizimkazi Dimbani Mosque (Misikiti wa kale wa Kizimkazi Dimbani in Swahili) is a mosque Located in the town of Dimbani, Kusini District of Unguja South Region in Tanzania. It is situated on the southern tip of the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania and is one of the oldest Islamic buildings on the East African coast. Despite its name, it is located in Dimbani, not Kizimkazi, which is 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) away (this is because the official names of these two joined villages are Kizimkazi Dimbani and Kizimkazi Mtendeni). According to a preserved kufic inscription, it was built in 1107. Although the inscription and certain coral-carved decorative elements date from the period of construction, the majority of the present structure was rebuilt in the 18th century.
Kizimkazi Mosque in late 21th Century | |
Shown within Tanzania | |
| Location | Kusini District, Unguja South Region, Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 6°26′9.96″S 39°27′44.64″E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Material | Coral rag |
| Founded | 1107 CE |
| Cultures | Swahili |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Tanzanian Government |
| Management | Antiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Swahili & Islamic |
National Historic Sites of Tanzania | |
| Official name | Kizimkazi Mosque |
| Type | Cultural |
| The oldest mosque that is still in use today in East Africa | |