KILWA KISIWANI NA SONGO MNARA YAONDOLEWA KATIKA ORODHA HATARISHI YA UNESCO

Naibu Waziri wa Maliasili na Utalii Mhe. Mahmoud Mgimwa akipongezwa na mmoja wa wajumbe wanaohudhuria Mkutano wa UNESCO jijini Doha, Qatar kufuatia hatua ya Hifadhi ya Urithi wa Dunia ya Magofu ya Kilwa Kisiwani na Songo Mnara kuondolewa katika orodha ya maeneo ya urithi wa dunia yaliyo hatarini kutoweka na kurudishiwa hadhi yake ya awali ya urithi wa dunia. Wanaoshuhudia ni Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Maliasili na Utalii Bi. Tarishi Kibenga (kati) na Mkurugenzi wa Malikale Bw. Donatius Kamamba.

Ujumbe wa Tanzania unaohudhuria Mkutano wa UNESCO jijini Doha, Qatar ukiwa katika ukumbi wa mkutano. Kutoka kushoto ni Mkurugenzi wa Malikale Bw. Donatius Kamamba, Katibu Mkuu Wizara ya Maliasili na Utalii Bi. Tarishi Kibenga, Naibu Waziri Maliasili na Utalii Mhe. Mahmoud Mgimwa na Mjumbe wa Tanzania katika Kamisheni ya UNESCO Profesa Mohamed Sheya.

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MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND TOURISM

PRESS STATEMENT

Tanzania’s Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara removed from UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger

The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) has found that management and safeguarding of the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara in the United Republic of Tanzania have improved to the point where the site can be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Located on two islands close to each other just off the Tanzanian coast about 300km south of Dar es Salaam, Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were Swahili trading cities. Their prosperity was based on control of Indian Ocean trade with Arabia, India and China, particularly between the 13th and 16th centuries, when gold and ivory from the hinterland was traded for silver, carnelians, perfumes, Persian faience and Chinese porcelain.

The site was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004, because of deterioration and decay leading to the collapse of the historical and archaeological structures for which the property was inscribed.

The 38th session of the World Heritage Committee began on 15 June and will continue through to 25 June, under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara are the remains of two great East African ports admired by early European explorers and are situated on two small islands near the coast. From the 13th to the 16th century, the merchants of Kilwa dealt in gold, silver, pearls, perfumes, Arabian crockery, Persian earthenware and Chinese porcelain; much of the trade in the Indian Ocean thus passed through their hands.

Issued by the Spokesperson

Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism

17^th June, 2014