
Tanzania Historical sites | Cultural Tours
Tanzania Historical sites | Olduvai Gorge | Laetoli Footprint | Isimila Stone Age site | Engaruka Ruins | Kaole Ruins | Kunduchi Ruins | Kilwa Kisiwani Ruins | Songo Mnara Ruins | Bagamoyo Historical town | Kilwa Kivinje | Mikindani | Kalenga in Iringa | Bweranyange in Kagera | Mbozi Meteorite | Amboni Caves | Kondoa Rock Art Shelters
Historical sites in Tanzania provide a clear insight into the past and help us learn about human history dated 2 million years back
Tanzania Historical Sites are marvels of engineering, also give us a clear picture on how our ancient cultures were, with such “primitive” tools, manage to make things like Stonehenge or the rock paintings which they made purposely for their survival. All this portrait their skill and desire. For those interested in history and culture travel to Tanzania below is the list of different historical sites they can visit.
The Division of Antiquities in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is responsible for conservation, preservation, protection and management of cultural heritage resources and sites in Tanzania, its obligation is protection to objects or structures, which are of archaeological, palaentological, historic, architectural, artistic, ethnological or scientific interest.
Tanzania is well endowed with abundant significant cultural heritage resources which range from the Pliocene period about four million years ago to present time.
Historical sites in Tanzania
Archaeological site:
Olduvai Gorge, in northern Tanzania, is internationally recognized for Louis and Mary Leakey’s famous discoveries of early humans and magnificent antiquities documenting the evolutionary history of our stone tool-using ancestors, vertebrate fauna, and the environments over the last two million years. Research at Olduvai began almost a century ago, producing an unparalleled wealth of archaeological and palaeontological data for the study of some key phases of early human evolution. Olduvai was the first place where traces of an early stone tool culture were discovered, and gave the name to the Oldowan, nowadays considered as the earliest human technology. Olduvai is also one of the first sites in Africa where the earliest Acheulean was first discovered, and where the traditional view of the Oldowan-Acheulean transition was established. The disappearance of the earliest human culture, the Oldowan, and its substitution by a new technology, the Acheulean, is one of the main topics in modern Paleoanthropology. The Olduvai Geochronology and Archaeology Project (OGAP) bring together an international team of archaeologists and geologists, whose main goal is to study the mechanisms that led to the origins of the Acheulean in Olduvai Gorge. |
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Archaeological site:
The Laetoli footprints were most likely made by Australopithecus afarensis, an early human whose fossils were found in the same sediment layer. The entire footprint trail is almost 27 m (88 ft) long and includes impressions of about 70 early human footprints. 3.6 million years ago in Laetoli, Tanzania, three early humans walked through wet volcanic ash. When the nearby volcano erupted again, subsequent layers of ash covered and preserved the oldest known footprints of early humans. Team members led by paleontologist Mary Leakey stumbled upon animal tracks cemented in the volcanic ash in 1976, but it wasn’t until 1978 that Paul Abell joined Leakey’s team and found the 88ft (27m) long footprint trail referred to now as “The Laetoli Footprints,” which includes about 70 early human footprints. The early humans that left these prints were bipedal and had big toes in line with the rest of their foot. This means that these early human feet were more human-like than ape-like, as apes have highly divergent big toes that help them climb and grasp materials like a thumb does. The footprints also show that the gait of these early humans was “heel-strike” (the heel of the foot hits first) followed by “toe-off” (the toes push off at the end of the stride)—the way modern humans walk. |
The close spacing of the footprints is evidence that the people who left them had a short stride, and therefore probably had short legs. It is not until much later that early humans evolved longer legs, enabling them to walk farther, faster, and cover more territory each day. How do we know these are early human footprints? The shape of the feet, along with the length and configuration of the toes, show that the Laetoli Footprints were made by an early human, and the only known early human in the region at that time was Au. afarensis. In fact, fossils of Au. afarensis were found nearby to the footprints and in the same sediment layer, telling scientists that Au. afarensis was in the area at the same time the footprints were left. |
Archaeological site:
One major Stone Age site, called Isimila, is located within a korongo (erosion gulley) on the Iringa plateau in Tanzania and has long been recognised as a site of international importance for understanding the behavioural complexity and plasticity of our hominin ancestors. One of the primary reasons for the importance of Isimila is the unique artefact record for a site outside the Rift Valley system present in both primary and secondary contexts consisting of thousands of handaxes – including enigmatic giant handaxes. Despite the international significance of Isimila, the archaeology, chronology, taphonomy and geomorphology of the site remain poorly understood, and in urgent need of re-examination. |
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Archaeological site:
Engaruka ruins is one of Tanzania’s most important historic sites. Some 500 years ago, a farming community of several thousand developed an ingenious irrigation and cultivation system. The water that flowed from the rift escarpment was channeled into stone-built canals and led to stone-bench terraces. Measures were taken to prevent soil erosion and the fertility of the plots was increased by using the manure of stall fed cattle. For unknown reasons, the farmers left Engaruka around 1700. Now, three centuries later, the ruins still give a good impression of the highly specialized , integrated agricultural economy, very remarkable for that period of African history. Although several famous archaeologists – including Louis Leakey – have investigated the Engaruka ruins, the site is still surrounded with mysteries. Many questions remain unanswered: – Who were the people living in Engaruka? Several theories have been developed, but none of them have as yet been verified. |
There are some to Visit Engaruka Ruins:
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Historical site:
Just southeast of Bagamoyo are these atmospheric ruins. At their centre are the remains of a 13th-century mosque, which is one of the oldest in mainland Tanzania and also one of the oldest in East Africa. It was built in the days when the Sultan of Kilwa held sway over coastal trade, and long before Bagamoyo had assumed any significance. Nearby is a second mosque, dating from the 15th century, and about 22 graves, many dating from the same period. Among the graves are several Shirazi pillar-style tombs reminiscent of those at Tongoni, but in somewhat better condition, and a small museum housing Chinese pottery fragments and other remnants. Just east of the ruins, past a dense stand of mangroves, is the old harbour, now silted, that was in use during Kaole’s heyday. The easiest way to reach the ruins on foot is by heading south for about 5km along the road running past Chuo cha Sanaa to the signposted Kaole turn-off at the southern end of Kaole village. |
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Historical site:
Near the modern town of Kunduchi, the site is accessible by dala dala and piki piki. Little is known about the history of these ruins, but the old stones of a 16th-century mosque can be seen. An 18th-century cemetery, which contains the largest assemblage of pillared tombs in East Africa, set in a baobab grove, decorated with porcelain plates from this period. The pottery excavated here shows that the town was wealthy at this time and had trade links with China and England. These overgrown but worthwhile ruins include the remnants of a late 15th-century mosque as well as Arabic graves from the 18th or 19th centuries, with some well-preserved pillar tombs plus some more recent graves. Fragments of Chinese pottery found here testify to ancient trading links between this part of Africa and Asia. Arrange a guide with your hotel, and expect to pay from about Tsh20,000 for the excursion including entry fee. It’s not safe to go alone. |
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The Olduvai gorge is located in between the Ngorongoro Maasai lands and the Serengeti wildlife plains, is a deep ravine more than 48 kilometers (30 miles) in length with a weathered monolith where one can clearly trace the strata of succeeding changes in climate over millions of years. This is where the Louis and Mary Leakey excavated evidence of the evolution of mankind through varied distinct layers of different sediments.
Historical Site:
Situated off the coast of Tanzania, the island of Kilwa Kisiwani (“isle of the fish”) was once the center of one of the greatest empires in East Africa. From the 9th century all the way up until the 19th century, Kilwa Kisiwani was a wealthy and powerful port, reaching its peak around the late-Middle Ages. At its height, the empire stretched from Kenya to Mozambique, and Kilwa Kisiwani’s prosperity was crucial to the development of Swahili civilization. The empire was established on the island by a Persian prince who bought Kilwa Kisiwani from an indigenous king for enough cloth to circle the island. The prince then destroyed a bridge that connected the island to mainland Tanzania. Kilwa Kisiwani grew rich and powerful because it was well placed on trading routes between Africa, China, India, and Arabia. Gold, porcelain, quartz, ivory, and other valuable treasures all passed through the island. Among the island’s own exports were spices, tortoiseshell, and slaves. |
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Historical Site:
From the 13th to the 16th century the small islands of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were central to the Indian Ocean trade and the Coastal Swahili Culture. The two ports were the conduit for trade in ivory, gold, timber, porcelain, pearls, jewelry and clothes. For some time, Kilwa was a prominent port for the Indian Ocean Slave Trade with more than 20 000 african slaves passing thorugh the port every year. The islands were prominent in the Islamisation of East Africa. Kilwa Kisiwani, described by the Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta who wrote “The city of Kilwa is amongst the most beautiful of cities and elegantly built.”. Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara are a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Zamani Project spatially documented Songo Mnara during 4 field campaigns between 2005-2009. The structures documented include: The Palace, the mosque and a number of residential buildings. Similar sites: |
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Historic Town:
The town of Bagamoyo is home to world-class Historical sites with rich cultural heritage waiting for you to explore. This town was once a most important trading port along the East African Coast and a German East Africa Capital. The town of Bagamoyo was one of the most important trading ports on the East African coast and the penultimate stop of slave and ivory caravans travelling on foot from Lake Tanganyika on their way to Zanzibar. Missionaries active in abolishing the slave trade made Bagamoyo, whose name means ‘bury my heart’ in Kiswahili, a centre for their activities. |
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Historic Town:
Kilwa Kisiwani is a community on an Indian Ocean island off the southern coast of present-day Tanzania in japanese Africa. traditionally, it turned into the middle of the Kilwa Sultanate, a medieval sultanate whose authority at its peak inside the 13th-15th centuries CE stretched the entire length of the Swahili Coast. Kilwa Kisiwani has been detailed by using UNESCO as a international background website together with the close by stonetown Songo Mnara. Kilwa Kisiwani is an archaeological town-state web page positioned alongside the Swahili Coast at the Kilwa archipelago. It changed into occupied from at least the 8th century CE and became one of the most effective settlements alongside the coast. The seasonal wind reversals could have an effect on alternate circulations.
It has alternate connections with the Arabian Peninsula as well as India and China influenced the increase and development of Kilwa, and, though there are Islamic phrases and customs that have been adapted to the lifestyle, the origins are African. many of the Swahili settlements showed complicated layouts that meditated social members of the family between organizations, but at Kilwa, there are many questions nonetheless left unanswered approximately the metropolis layout. |
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Historic Town:
Along the southern coast of Tanzania, the old Swahili town of Mikindani and the surrounding beaches of the Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park make a tranquil and quiet alternative to larger beach destinations to the north. In town, a visit to the old German boma and the slave market is an interesting day excursion from the coconut palm fringed beaches that stretch to the Mozambican border.The marine park’s beaches and underwater reefs are largely unexplored and boat trips to the bay and estuary mean venturing off the beaten track on your own private Indian Ocean adventure. The protected lagoon has made a superb harbour for generations of fishermen and traders. Traders from the Arabian Peninsula settled in Mikindani in the 9th and 18th centuries. By the second half of the 15th century, trade from Mikindani was also going as far as Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Zaire. The products exported included ivory, animal hides, tortoise shells and copper, while manufactured products such as clothes, household utensils and weaponry were imported. Portuguese expansion along the East African coast disrupted trade links in the 16th century. |
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How to reach Bagamoyo from Dar-es-salaam?
Many airlines have flights to Dar es Salaam International Airport (See below). From the airport to Bagamoyo it is roughly 1 – 2 hours drive by car, depending on the time of day and the traffic. Moyo Trip Insight Tanzania can arrange for a pick-up at the airport at a fixed price. Other means of transportation is regular Taxi (prices depends on negotiation), or regular daladala – local minibuses.
Traditional Settlements:
This tiny museum in nearby Kalenga – the former Hehe capital – contains the skull, personal effects and other relics of Chief Mkwawa. It was here that he committed suicide rather than succumb to the German forces. The admission price includes a historical explanation by the caretaker, though he also appreciates a tip. Unless you are very interested in Chief Mkwawa or Tanzanian history, it’s difficult to justify this dusty museum’s price. It’s also possible to arrange with the caretaker to visit other nearby historical sites, including a cemetery with the graves of some of Mkwawa’s 62 wives, and the site of part of Kalenga’s old defensive wall (the ruins themselves are now nonexistent). Kalenga is about 15km from Iringa on the road to Ruaha National Park. Dalla-dallas go regularly to Kalenga (Tsh500) from Iringa’s post office, also stopping at Mlandege bus stand near the roundabout at the start of the Ruaha road. Ask to be dropped at the signposted turn-off, from where it’s an 800m walk through the village to the museum. |
Traditional Settlement:
Bweranyange is a populated place and is located in Kagera, Tanzania. The estimate terrain elevation above seal level is 1674 metres. Bweranyange is located in the region of Kagera. Kagera’s capital Bukoba (Bukoba) is approximately 103 km / 64 mi away from Bweranyange (as the crow flies). The distance from Bweranyange to Tanzania’s capital Dodoma (Dodoma) is approximately 724 km / 450 mi (as the crow flies). Tanzania Historical Sites are marvels of engineering, also give us a clear picture on how our ancient cultures were, with such “primitive” tools, manage to make things like Stonehenge or the rock paintings which they made purposely for their survival. All this portrait their skill and desire. For those interested in history and culture travel to Tanzania below is the list of different historical sites they can visit. |
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Natural feature and Structure:
Mbozi Meteorite: World’s eighth largest, located about 65km southwest of Mbeya is the Mbozi meteorite, weighing an estimated 25 metric tonnes, it’s around 3m long and 1m tall Mbozi meteorite is the most popular tourist attraction found in Songwe region. Weighing in at a cool 12 tons, the irregularly shaped Mbozi Meteorite – which lies on the southwestern slope of Marengi Hill, 70 kilometers west of Mbeya, off the road to Tunduma – is the world’s eighth largest known. The meteorite is a fragment of interplanetary matter that was large enough to avoid being completely burned up when entering earth’s atmosphere. But the fragment is small enough to avoid exploding; of the estimated five hundred meteorites that fall to earth each year, only thirty percent strike land, and less than ten are reported and recorded. The Mbozi Meteorite has been known for centuries by locals, who call it Kimwondo, but the absence of legends recounting its sudden and undoubtedly fiery arrival indicate that it fell to earth long before the present inhabitants arrived, a thousand years ago. The meteorite was officially discovered in 1930 at the time when only the top was visible……… |
……….. To reveal the whole meteorite, the hillside around it was dug away, leaving a pillar of soil under the meteorite, which was then reinforced with concrete to serve as a plinth. The irregular notches on the pointed end were caused by souvenir hunters hacking out chunks – no easy task given the strength of the nickel-iron of which it’s made. Most meteorites consist of silicates or stony-irons, so Mbozi meteorite is uncommon in that it’s composed mainly of iron (90.45 percent) and nickel (8.69 percent), with negligible amounts of copper, sulphur and phosphorus. A visit to the Meteorite Site is always fascinating especially if you are in a group and you travel using public transport as a means of getting a better taste of the countryside and face some adventures. This enables the group to also interact with the locals who are ever ready to share views with visitors |
Natural feature and structure:
Long the subject of local legend, these limestone caves are one of the most extensive subterranean systems in East Africa and an intriguing excursion for anyone with an interest in spelunking. Now home to thousands of bats, they were traditionally believed to house various spirits, and continue to be a place of worship and ritual. It’s possible to visit a small portion of the cave network, which is quite interesting, once you get past the litter at the entrance. The caves were originally thought to extend 200km or more, and are said to have been used by the Kenyan Mau Mau during the 1950s as a hideout from the British. Although a 1994 survey concluded that their extent was much smaller – with the largest of the studied caves only 900m long – rumours of them reaching all the way to Mombasa persist. The caves are about 8km northwest of Tanga off the Tanga–Mombasa road, and best accessed via bicycle arranged through Tanga Cultural Tourism Enterprise (about Tsh65,000 per person including entry fee, bicycle rental and guide). Alternatively, take a dalla-dalla towards Amboni village (Tsh1000) and get off at the turn-off for the caves, near the forestry office. From here, it’s 2.5km on foot to Kiomoni village; the caves stretch west of Kiomoni along the Mkulumuzi River. |
Bring along a torch and wear closed shoes to avoid picking bat droppings off your feet afterwards. Hiring a taxi from Tanga costs about Tsh 50,000 return, including waiting time. |
Natural feature and structure:
Red elongated people, giraffes, eland and hunting scenes. These are just some of the subjects in a little-known UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tanzania.In central Tanzania near the little village of Kolo (250km southwest of Arusha) are the Kondoa Irangi rock paintings. These paintings are found in caves, rock shelters and overhanging slabs of rock along the faults of the East African rift valley in an area of about 2 300 km². Some say that there is anything from 150 to 450 different sites, but the exact number is not known. These caves and shelters were used not only for living but some also for traditional rituals – these rituals are still performed today. In the early 1950’s archaeologists and anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey conducted a survey of some 100 sites and in 1983 Mary released a book highlighting the beautiful art they found there. However, still only a handful of people have seen it. The paintings, estimated to be over 1500 years old, are said to have been done by a group of hunter gatherers belonging to the Sandawe tribe. The Sandawe people still live in Tanzania and are the last true hunter-gatherers. Red and white and occasionally black and brown colours have been used to depict people and wild animals. The material used was most probably plant-based oils and animal fat. Red pigments are generally iron oxide; however, but some could have used animal blood. |
Red elongated people, giraffes, eland and hunting scenes. These are just some of the subjects in a little-known UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tanzania.In central Tanzania near the little village of Kolo (250km southwest of Arusha) are the Kondoa Irangi rock paintings. |
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Safaris & Tours
Tanzania is one of Africa’s top safari destinations. The wildlife viewing is out of this world and big cats are especially easy to see. All members of the Big Five can be found in various Tanzanian parks and reserves, and all five are present in the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park.

Mountain Climbing
The most frequent expeditions are obviously to Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru, but there are also other destinations such as the Crater Highlands. Trekking companies will happily put together an itinerary that suits your preferences and all other important details for your comfortability.

Beach Holidays
Unguja/Zanzibar Island, is the main island in the Tanzania. Stone Town, part of Zanzibar, is an old trade center, with mosques and winding lanes. The 1883 House of Wonders is a former sultan’s palace with a clock tower. The Old Fort now houses a cultural center and a stone amphitheater, The best beaches!