Primary Source

Kilwa Map Illustration

Illustration shows an island with a collection of buildings in the center

Annotation

This illustration shows the trading city state of Kilwa or Kilwa Kiswani on an island off the Swahili Coast in East Africa (modern Tanzania), which flourished between the 12th and 15th century. This engraving was printed in Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg’s Civitates orbis terrarium (1572-1617), a six-volume work with hundreds of bird's-eye views and maps of cities from all around the world.

This source is a part of the Trade and Religion in the Indian Ocean Network, 1100-1500 teaching module.

Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg, atlas Civitates orbis terrarum, vol. I, 1572

Credits

From the Ancient History Encyclopedia: https://www.ancient.eu/image/10326/kilwa-map-illustration

How to Cite This Source

"Kilwa Map Illustration," in World History Commons, https://worldhistorycommons.org/kilwa-map-illustration [accessed July 12, 2025]

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