Iranian Historical Monuments in Tanzania

One of the most prominent characteristics of the migration of Iranians to different parts of the world has been the construction of numerous monuments including mosques, palaces, tombs, etc., which in the course of history have become a part of the historical heritage of those lands. These historical sites, side by side other cultural and civilizational elements, reflect upon the impact of the ancient culture on other parts of the world, even in distant places, manifesting the strength of Iranian-Islamic culture and civilization. In this paper the author makes a review of the most important historical sites made by the Iranians in Tanzania as well as the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, which were built some 800 to 1000 years ago and have survived till date, on the basis of the available sources and field research. The author endeavors to throw light on the incentives of the Iranians, who had migrated to this country from the Shiraz region of Iran, for the construction of these monuments in Tanzania and the role of these historical sites in the spread of the Iranian-Islamic culture there. The paper also reflects upon the migration of Iranians to Tanzania and their settlement in Tanzanian coastal regions and islands. The methodology used for this paper is descriptive - analytical and the researcher has made his best efforts to provide the readers with first-hand information on these monuments built by the Iranian in this region, in spite of shortage of written sources. That is to say the paper is mainly the outcome of the field research and personal observations during his trips to Tanzania.