Mikindani
Encyclopedia
Mikindani [translation: young palm trees], is a coastal African, Swahili
town in south-eastern Tanzania
.
traders. A further influx of Arab
s occurred in the 17th century under the reign of Seyyid Said, the graves and mosques from this period can still be seen.
In the late 19th century under German colonial rule
trade in the area's natural resources of rubber, sisal, coconuts and oil seed grew. The boma
(fort), a slave market, a prison and a dock were constructed in the village. During World War I
the prison was largely destroyed, what remained was turned into a customs house. With the arrival of the British
at the end of the First World War, Mikindani remained an important administrative post and attracted a sizeable Indian population (there is still an Indian temple)until 1947 when the British administration developed the port in neighbouring Mtwara for exporting peanuts grown as part of the infamous Tanganyika groundnut scheme
.
As the centre for trade and administration moved to Mtwara, Mikindani's focus shifted back to fishing and agriculture. The town declined further through the unwise nationalizations by the Tanzanian government that drove away most of the Indian and Arab settlers, and left the town a beautiful ruin frozen in time. Due to its proximity to the Northern border of Mozambique
and the lack of communications - the road to Dar Es Salaam is still under construction - the whole area remained relatively unexplored; the area was off-limits to tourists during the 1977 - 1994 Mozambican Civil War
.
The town is home to 'Livingstone House', that owes its name to the fact that the town is assumed to be the point of departure of Livingstone's last expedition. The building as such never housed Livingstone, and was erected long after his departure. It is likely that Livingstone's final departure point would in fact have been nearby Pemba on the northern side of the mouth of the lagoon rather than this location in the centre of Mikindani.
The southern arm of the harbour mouth contains a small collection of houses (and a holiday complex) called Litingi. On the far side of the mouth is a small village called Pemba. There are salt pans located just past the mouth of the bay
, on the ocean side.
The Town is located on the main Mtwara-Lindi
road, about 10 km from Mtwara. The town can easily be reached from Mtwara via regular Dala Dala
services.
as a hotel in the late 1990s.
Today Mikindani is a fascinating old town with winding streets and an interesting blend of local and Arabic influenced architecture with roofed terraces, sculpted doors and thick coral stone walls. Arab buildings from the 17th century still stand in the town today, though most buildings were erected during the first half of the twentieth century in the old Swahili style. It has a small number of hotels, bars and restaurants, and more recently a yacht club has been founded. It is also becoming known as one of Tanzania's unexplored diving locations.
However, despite these developments, the majority of the population exist on subsistence farming
and artisanal fishing, selling a small amount of their surplus.
The town is predominantly Muslim
although there is a sizable Christian
population.
Swahili people
The Swahili people are a Bantu ethnic group and culture found in East Africa, mainly in the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya, Tanzania and north Mozambique. According to JoshuaProject, the Swahili number in at around 1,328,000. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil,...
town in south-eastern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
History
In the far south of Tanzania, Mikindani is an old Swahili port that was once the centre of trade in southern Tanzania. The original inhabitants (the Makonde people) were joined around the 9th Century AD by ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
traders. A further influx of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s occurred in the 17th century under the reign of Seyyid Said, the graves and mosques from this period can still be seen.
In the late 19th century under German colonial rule
German colonial empire
The German colonial empire was an overseas domain formed in the late 19th century as part of the German Empire. Short-lived colonial efforts by individual German states had occurred in preceding centuries, but Imperial Germany's colonial efforts began in 1884...
trade in the area's natural resources of rubber, sisal, coconuts and oil seed grew. The boma
Boma (enclosure)
A boma is a livestock enclosure, a stockade or kind of fort, or a district government office. The term is used in many parts of eastern, central and southern Africa and is incorporated into many African languages as well as colonial varieties of English, French and German.As a livestock enclosure,...
(fort), a slave market, a prison and a dock were constructed in the village. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the prison was largely destroyed, what remained was turned into a customs house. With the arrival of the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
at the end of the First World War, Mikindani remained an important administrative post and attracted a sizeable Indian population (there is still an Indian temple)until 1947 when the British administration developed the port in neighbouring Mtwara for exporting peanuts grown as part of the infamous Tanganyika groundnut scheme
Tanganyika groundnut scheme
The Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme was a plan to cultivate tracts of what is now Tanzania with peanuts. It was a project of the British Labour government of Clement Attlee. It was abandoned in 1951 at considerable cost to the taxpayers when it did not become profitable...
.
As the centre for trade and administration moved to Mtwara, Mikindani's focus shifted back to fishing and agriculture. The town declined further through the unwise nationalizations by the Tanzanian government that drove away most of the Indian and Arab settlers, and left the town a beautiful ruin frozen in time. Due to its proximity to the Northern border of Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and the lack of communications - the road to Dar Es Salaam is still under construction - the whole area remained relatively unexplored; the area was off-limits to tourists during the 1977 - 1994 Mozambican Civil War
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
.
The town is home to 'Livingstone House', that owes its name to the fact that the town is assumed to be the point of departure of Livingstone's last expedition. The building as such never housed Livingstone, and was erected long after his departure. It is likely that Livingstone's final departure point would in fact have been nearby Pemba on the northern side of the mouth of the lagoon rather than this location in the centre of Mikindani.
Geography
Mikindani town is located on the gently sloping hills of the southern coast of Mikindani Harbour, a small roughly heart shaped natural harbour off Mikindani Bay. With a narrow entrance to the harbour, it was a welcome respite from the perils of the unpredictable Indian Ocean for explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries.The southern arm of the harbour mouth contains a small collection of houses (and a holiday complex) called Litingi. On the far side of the mouth is a small village called Pemba. There are salt pans located just past the mouth of the bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
, on the ocean side.
The Town is located on the main Mtwara-Lindi
Lindi
Lindi is a coastal town located at the far end of the Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Tanzania. The town is 450 kilometers south of Dar es Salaam and 105 kilometers north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region, one...
road, about 10 km from Mtwara. The town can easily be reached from Mtwara via regular Dala Dala
Share taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
services.
The Modern Town
After local administrative offices moved to Mtwara in 1947, Mikindani's fortunes declined. However, the town has since seen an increase in prosperity over the past decade, starting with the renovation of the bomaBoma (enclosure)
A boma is a livestock enclosure, a stockade or kind of fort, or a district government office. The term is used in many parts of eastern, central and southern Africa and is incorporated into many African languages as well as colonial varieties of English, French and German.As a livestock enclosure,...
as a hotel in the late 1990s.
Today Mikindani is a fascinating old town with winding streets and an interesting blend of local and Arabic influenced architecture with roofed terraces, sculpted doors and thick coral stone walls. Arab buildings from the 17th century still stand in the town today, though most buildings were erected during the first half of the twentieth century in the old Swahili style. It has a small number of hotels, bars and restaurants, and more recently a yacht club has been founded. It is also becoming known as one of Tanzania's unexplored diving locations.
However, despite these developments, the majority of the population exist on subsistence farming
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
and artisanal fishing, selling a small amount of their surplus.
The town is predominantly Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
although there is a sizable Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
population.