Swahili Cuisine and Culture.

11/03/2023

11/03/2023

Happening today

https://virginia.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcofu-rrj8jEtAK-DZD7uO14az6wQn_Ui84 #/registration

10/13/2023

Habari zenu? Za siku nyingi!

12/09/2019

Innalillahi wainna ileihi rajiun. Lamu has lost a great craftsman, Mbarak “slim silver” as he was known. Renowned for his use of broken pottery to make jewellery.

When I used to live in Lamu I would see Slim almost everyday and often hangout in his shop. He always had jokes and interesting anecdotes that would always make my day. As a lover of antiques I used to admire his shop and wish I could own everything there. But I could only afford some knickknacks.

When I moved from Lamu I went without seeing him for over 2yrs. Everytime I passed his shop it was closed for prayers, and this year it seemed under renovation. I missed my therapeutic visits. Two months ago I went intentionally to see if his old shop was open, but it wasn’t.

A few metres after passing the shop, I heard a familiar voice call me from an unfamiliar shop “Samia!”. When I turned around and it was Slim! He explained to me he had temporarily moved his shop. He showed off his new space. We talked for over 30mins catching up on old times as he tried to woo me to purchase an antique. I left with two pieces.

We talked about many things from Bollywood to his sense of style. He was playing a Bollywood song that was probably from the 1960s in a vintage TV. He started singing the song, even his film preferences were retro! I noticed an old photo hanging of him in an Afro and retro glasses. I laughed at his now disappeared sense of style. “Nilikuwa actor kweli!” (I was a good looking guy!”) he smiled.

His stories were funny and we had a lot to catch up on but some tourists walked in and I let them have some space. This time I didn’t leave without taking his phone number so that we could stay in touch. He asked me to order him a gem from India if I know anyone going there. We promised to stay in touch. Almost 2 months later, I get the news we have lost Slim. May Allah grant him a place in paradise.

Slim had learned the skills of his trade from his family. A question that lingers is who did he pass on his skills to? His children? I wish we had more time...Lamu has lost a great artist, a great craftsman and a great man.

Photo by Ibn Ibn Battuta

10/06/2019

Fascinating history of Kilwa

The Zamani Project team spatially documented Kilwa Kisiwani during 4 field campaigns between 2005-2009. The structures documented include: the Gereza (prison); the Great Mosque; the Husuni Kubwa; the Makutani Building and the Malindi Mosque. - 3D Heritage Documentation - Laser Scanning - 3D Modellin...

02/16/2018

Today had guest over and had some Swahili cuisine to share.

09/30/2017

https://uyui.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/uyui-tabora-coin-sio-wengi-wanaojua-kuwa-tabora-ilikuwa-na-sarafu-yake-ya-dhahabu-1916/

The 1916 “Tabora Pound” – 15 Rupien Gold Coin from German East Africa Commercial banking was introduced in German East Africa in 1905, when the Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Bank opened…

03/22/2015

There have been discoveries of Palaeolithic stone tools in caves in southern and central Oman, and in the United Arab Emirates close to the Straits of Hormuz at the outlet of the Persian Gulf. These stone tools, some up to 125,000 years old, resemble those made by humans in Africa around the same pe…

02/03/2015

Interesting article on fort jesus Mombasa.
http://www.colonialvoyage.com/fort-jesus-mombasa/ #

Fort Jesus Mombasa a Portuguese fortress in Kenya. Portuguese fortress and forts, Portuguese colonial ruins, Portuguese remains, fortified settlements

12/14/2014

beautiful song..

12/14/2014