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Kulwa

كلوا

A great coastal city. Most of its people are Zunuj (Black Africans), its houses are of wood, and its people follow the Shafi'i school. Ibn Battuta says Sofala lies half a month's journey from it (al-Rihla, 1958 edition, p. 163), and that he took ship from it to Zafar al-Hamus.

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East Africa & Swahili coast
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Overview

Kulwa is a great coastal town. Most of its people are Africans, its houses are of wood, and its people follow the Shafi'i school. Ibn Battuta reports that Sofala lies half a month's journey from it, and that from it he took ship to Zufar al-Hamud. 1

The name matches Kilwa Kisiwani in Tanzania, an inference by a researcher that has not yet been verified. An additional source is needed.

Sources

  1. Rihla of Ibn Battuta (Tuhfat al-nuzzar), Arabic edition 1958 , p.163
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islam.museum contributors. “Kulwa”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/place/kulwa/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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