Historical Islamic city-state, located on an island off the coast of what is now southern Tanzania.
It became one of the most active commercial centres on the eastern coast of Africa by 1100, and gold coins were minted there. After being held briefly by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it declined in importance and was abandoned. Extensive ruins remain, including those of mosques, a Portuguese fort, and a 13th–14th-century palace. The town of Kilwa on the Tanzanian coast was the site of a major centre for the export of slaves in the 19th century.