Oman's Swahili Coast: The Great Mosque of Kilwa

In this episode of The Story of Oman, Lucas and Luna explore the architectural and political legacy of the Great Mosque of Kilwa Kisiwani, a coral-stone masterpiece on the Swahili Coast that Oman ruled for centuries. They trace its construction from the 11th-century Shirazi founder Ali ibn al-Hasan to the 14th-century expansion by al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman, who added the iconic Great Dome. They discuss how Omani Busaidi sultans like Sayyid Said bin Sultan maintained the mosque as a symbol of authority, and how the mosque's design reflects Indian Ocean trade networks. The hosts also touch on the mosque's decline in the 19th century and its UNESCO World Heritage status today. Along the way, they address the controversy over when Islam first reached the Swahili Coast and the role of Ibadi Omanis versus Sunni Shirazi in shaping the region's religious identity. #GreatMosqueOfKilwa #KilwaKisiwani #SwahiliCoast #OmanEmpire #Busaidi #SayyidSaid #Shirazi #IbadiIslam #IndianOceanTrade #CoralStoneArchitecture #UNESCO #MedievalAfrica #IslamInAfrica #OmaniHistory #Zanzibar #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo