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Heritage of Tanzania
Tanzania's heritage is a treasure connecting us to our history, culture and identity. Preserving it is preserving who we are.
Heritage includes the places, traditions, knowledge, languages and arts that a community has inherited from past generations and holds in trust for future generations. Tanzania is extraordinarily rich in all forms of heritage — natural, historical, cultural and intangible.
Historical Heritage
Mainland Tanzania
- Kilwa Kisiwani — great Swahili trading port (UNESCO)
- Songo Mnara — historic Swahili town (UNESCO)
- Bagamoyo Historic Town — 19th century trade centre
- Kaole Ruins — ancient mosque and tombs
- Olduvai Gorge — cradle of human evolution
- Isimila Stone Age Site — 60,000-year-old tools
- Amboni Caves — ancient limestone caves (Tanga)
- Kondoa Rock-Art Sites — ancient cave paintings (UNESCO)
Zanzibar
- Stone Town — UNESCO World Heritage city
- Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) — oldest surviving building in Zanzibar
- House of Wonders (Beit-al-Ajaib) — iconic Zanzibar palace
- Palace Museum — history of Zanzibar's sultans
- Hamamni Persian Baths — 19th century bath house
- Kidichi Persian Baths — built by Sultan Said
- Mtoni Palace Ruins — oldest palace in Zanzibar
- Pujini Ruins (Pemba) — ancient fortified village
Natural Heritage
Mainland Tanzania
- Serengeti National Park (UNESCO)
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area (UNESCO)
- Mount Kilimanjaro National Park (UNESCO)
- Nyerere National Park (Selous — UNESCO ecosystem)
- Lake Tanganyika — world's second deepest lake
- Lake Victoria — Africa's largest lake
- Lake Nyasa — home to hundreds of unique fish species
- Ruaha, Gombe, Mahale National Parks
Zanzibar
- Jozani–Chwaka Bay National Park
- Menai Bay Conservation Area
- Mnemba Marine Conservation Area
- Misali Island Conservation Area
- Ngezi Forest Reserve (Pemba)
- Chumbe Island Coral Park
Cultural Heritage
Mainland Tanzania
- Makonde woodcarving — internationally recognised art form
- Traditional ngoma (drumming and dance)
- Pottery and basket weaving traditions
- Oral literature — proverbs, songs and stories
- Maasai beadwork and warrior traditions
Zanzibar
- Taarab music — Zanzibar's gift to the world
- Swahili door carving — intricate carved wooden doors
- Spice culture and dhow building
- Swahili culinary heritage
- Ngalawa racing — traditional outrigger canoe races
National Symbols
National Flag
Black, yellow, green and blue diagonal stripes representing people, minerals, land and water.
National Emblem
Features the Uhuru Torch, Mount Kilimanjaro, a shield, spear, and axe — symbols of freedom and unity.
National Anthem
'Mungu Ibariki Afrika' — God Bless Africa — sung with pride by Tanzanians everywhere.
National Animal
The Giraffe (Twiga) — Tanzania has the world's largest giraffe population.
Uhuru Torch
Lit on Mount Kilimanjaro at independence — the flame of freedom that still burns today.
Tanzanite
The gemstone found only in Tanzania — a symbol of the nation's unique natural wealth.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tanzania
Serengeti National Park
1981Natural heritage — Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
1979Natural heritage — world's largest intact caldera.
Kilimanjaro National Park
1987Natural heritage — Africa's highest peak.
Selous/Nyerere Ecosystem
1982Natural heritage — vast wilderness ecosystem.
Kilwa Kisiwani & Songo Mnara
1981Cultural heritage — ancient Swahili port cities.
Stone Town of Zanzibar
2000Cultural heritage — historic Swahili trading city.
Kondoa Rock-Art Sites
2006Cultural heritage — ancient cave paintings.
How Young Tanzanians Can Protect Heritage
- ✓Visit historical and natural heritage sites
- ✓Learn and teach the history of Tanzania
- ✓Preserve and speak indigenous languages
- ✓Participate in cultural events and traditions
- ✓Promote Tanzania's heritage on social media
- ✓Protect the natural environment
- ✓Support community heritage preservation projects
💡Did You Know?
- Tanzania has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites — among the most in Africa.
- Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania contains some of the oldest known human fossils on Earth.
- The Makonde woodcarving tradition is recognised internationally as a major African art form.
- Zanzibar's Stone Town has been continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years.