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October 7, 2025

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Zanzibar, Swahili Woman by Pereira de Lord. Photograph taken before 1900; postcard printed between 1907 and 1910.

Zanzibar, Swahili Woman by Pereira de Lord. Photograph taken before 1900; postcard printed between 1907 and 1910.

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hiistoriya

Connecting the East African coast’s past, present and future
📩DM if you would like to contribute a story

Part II of Bhalo songs and the Indian melodies the

Part II of Bhalo songs and the Indian melodies they were inspired by.

Juma Bhalo was a famous East African Taarab singer known for his Swahili ballads that were renditions of Bollywood songs.

Have you watched part 1? Which ones are your favourite Bhalo songs, coz no one has just one

#hiistoriya #bhalo #taarab #bollywood #Indiansongs #Swahili

There was a time on the Swahili coast when going t

There was a time on the Swahili coast when going to the market was the man’s responsibility. In the morning, it was common to see men heading home with vikapu, sisal baskets filled with fresh produce. The soko was a space dominated by men, both as sellers and as buyers.

At home, women would prepare the meals with whatever the men brought back. The kikapu became a signal that told women what the day’s meals would be, and it also reflected how men managed the household budget. They carried the mental load of knowing what the home needed and planning around it.

Women’s roles, though essential, were often tied to the household or the neighbourhood. Somen sold cooked food from their homes or small stalls, but the bustling public marketplace was considered a male sphere.

Over time, colonial rule, urban growth, and shifting gender expectations began to change this balance. Women became more visible in markets, first as traders of small goods and later as daily shoppers.

What did you grow up seeing?

Photo by: @tobikowesa

We may be saving time, but the reality is we could

We may be saving time, but the reality is we could also be erasing a ritual that was at the heart of Swahili cooking. The chore of kukuna nazi, shaving the coconut on the mbuzi, was considered an essential skill. How fast you could do it, how fine your grind was, and how much meat you could scrape from the coconut were markers of greatness. In big ceremonies, this slow rhythm pulled together families, neighbours, and friends who would fill homes with laughter and conversation.

Now, mechanical shavers are changing the pace. They cut time, save energy, and expand the scale of coconut use. At the moment, they are mostly used in markets, where coconut sellers lure buyers with convenience. Soon they will be used in homes, reshaping kukuna nazi.

Just as sieves and blenders replaced the use of the kifumbu, will the mbuzi survive only as an artefact and a spectacle? Will kukuna nazi fade from being an activity practised in everyday kitchens to becoming a performance at cultural festivals and competitions?

#hiistoriya

We may be saving time, but the reality is we could

We may be saving time, but the reality is we could also be erasing a ritual that was at the heart of Swahili cooking. The chore of kukuna nazi, shaving the coconut on the mbuzi, was considered an essential skill. How fast you could do it, how fine your grind was, and how much meat you could scrape from the coconut were markers of greatness. In big ceremonies, this slow rhythm pulled together families, neighbours, and friends who would fill homes with laughter and conversation.

Now, mechanical shavers are changing the pace. They cut time, save energy, and expand the scale of coconut use. At the moment, they are mostly used in markets, where coconut sellers lure buyers with convenience. Soon they will be used in homes, reshaping kukuna nazi.

Just as sieves and blenders replaced the use of the kifumbu, will the mbuzi survive only as an artefact and a spectacle? Will kukuna nazi fade from being an activity practised in everyday kitchens to becoming a performance at cultural festivals and competitions?

#hiistoriya

Vidaka (singular: kidaka) are small, intricate pla

Vidaka (singular: kidaka) are small, intricate plasterwork niches carved into walls of stone homes and tombs. They were staples in medieval Swahili architecture and have existed as early as the 14th century.

Visuals
@director_bax
@_theartivist
@swahiligal_
Lamu: Kenya's Enchanted Island by George Abungu, Carol Beckwith, Angela Fisher, David Coulson and Lorna Abungu.

#hiistoriya

Part two of Swahili words with Portuguese origins.

Part two of Swahili words with Portuguese origins. Most of these objects were introduced to the East African coast by the Portuguese hence why they maintained their Portuguese names

#Hiistoriya

In 1858, a young man calling himself Prince Abudin

In 1858, a young man calling himself Prince Abudin of Nzwani arrived in Aden, Yemen. He claimed to be the son of the Sultan of Nzwani, one of the islands in today’s Comoros. But he came with almost nothing, no money, no servants, no retinue. The British official in Aden decided to treat him as a guest of the empire, covering his expenses and even arranging a ship to Muscat, Oman.

That was only the beginning. For nearly a decade, Abudin travelled across the Indian Ocean and beyond: to Bombay, Karachi, Madras, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Réunion, Mauritius, Madagascar, Cape Town, and even Paris. In each place, he often convinced British representatives to pay for his stay and his onward journey, usually claiming he needed help to return home to Comoros.

Abudin was smart. He spoke English well, adopted British manners, and changed his name several times to fit different settings. He built a persona through his speech and dress, convincing enough that colonial officials kept opening their doors, and their wallets.

Finally, in 1863, Abudin made it to London with his uncle, Prince Muhammad. There, he tried to offer Nzwani to the British government. When that failed, the two travelled to Cairo and attempted the same with the Egyptian authorities. Again, nothing came of it.

The story did not end there. In 1866, his uncle Muhammad appeared in Aden, this time claiming to be an ambassador of Nzwani travelling from Istanbul to Bombay to sign a treaty. Like Abudin before him, he said he had been robbed and needed help. The British, once again, paid for his passage.

Source: Jeremy Prestholdt - Domesticating the World (2008)

#hiistoriya #Comoros

Some said coins had holes because it was harder to

Some said coins had holes because it was harder to create counterfeits or that less metal was required to mint coins making it cheaper, but mostly it was for convenience.

Which other repetitive words do you know? This p

Which other repetitive words do you know?

This part 3 of the joint Hiistoriya-Halal Safaris #SAFARITALES Series. This time its the Kilimanjaro 🏔️

What makes a great trip is the stories that come with it. Book a trip with @halalsafaris for stories you will never forget and follow @hiistoriya for more.

#HalalSafaris #Hiistoriya

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Hiistoriya is a digital platform dedicated to conserving, promoting, and sharing the rich culture and history of the East African coast, particularly Swahili heritage.

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Email: info(@)hiistoriya.com

P.O. Box 34145-00100

Nairobi, Kenya

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