Pate Island#Shanga

Shanga is a former port town on the east coast of Kenya within the Lamu Archipelago. Shanga is considered the earliest presence of Muslim settlers on the East African coast and south of the Sahara.

The place on the island of Pate was an important station for Muslim merchants and sailors, who were traveling along the coast of Africa and to India. He was down to a brief mention in the godfather chronicles mentioned by any text obtained. All information come from the archaeological excavations that have been carried out here by Mark Horton and Richard Wilding from 1980 in an exemplary thoroughness. From pre-Islamic potsherds were excavated, suggesting an early settlement of the Black African farmers and trade contacts with South Arabia. Similar, unglazed pottery in the earliest times were also found on nearby islands and 1989 on the Tana River. In Shanga 41 types of shards were distinguished and classified into four chronological sections. To what extent cattlemen were the first settlers on the island, is not yet clear consistent.

In the 8th century, was the site of round huts and was surrounded by a wooden fortification. From the period 780-850 two superimposed mosques were unearthed, with the bottommost oldest mosque may already have been built around 675. Post holes suggest that first a " tent-like " structure was built. Grave finds from the earliest time point to a permanent settlement. A total of 25 renewals at the mosque were identified. Since the qibla wall with a stone in the middle towards Jerusalem was aligned as a symbolic mihrab first, even a very early construction is contemplated during the lifetime of Muhammad. In the 9th or 10th century there was a wooden mosque, from about the 11th century it was built of coral stone and plastered with lime.

Around this time, rectangular houses, and an attachment of coral stone were built around the mosque. Even outside the city wall remains were excavated by stone houses. In Shanga silver coins were inscribed by local Muslim rulers from the 9th century found. Other coins that were with the Fatimids in circulation date from the late 10th and the 11th century.

In the following century economic stagnation is detected, since only buildings were built of wood. In the 14th and 15th centuries, many new buildings were constructed in the heyday of the place from another coral stone. The mosque was abandoned in the early 15th century. After this time, the place had lost its importance as a seaport for Arab traders. The religious and economic center of this part of the coast was from 1550 to 1800 Lamu.

The preserved ruins from the 13th or 14th century lie south-east of the town Siyu (where stone houses from the 15th century ) and consist of about 130 houses, a large, a small mosque and a palace. The city was surrounded by a defensive wall with five entrances. Outside the wall is a cemetery with about 300 graves.