Swahili Culture

The Swahili coast

Swahili Culture

A coastal culture blending African, Arab, Persian and Indian influences over centuries.

RAFIKI / LIVING HERITAGE

Swahili Culture

A coastal culture blending African, Arab, Persian and Indian influences over centuries.

For centuries Tanzania’s coastline was a hub for trade between Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and Swahili culture flourished in that exchange. It lives on today in poetry, hospitality, carved doors, ocean knowledge, shared food and the language itself.