Background to the German Boma in Kivinje (Kilwa)
Rare photo. The black prisoners have been chained to each other by the Germans, like slaves of the Arabs previously. The chains are connected to steel bands around their necks.
This Boma was a customs station of Deutsch-Ostafrikanischen Gesellschaft. In 1888 two employees of D.O.A.G were killed by the uprise of the Arabs against the Germans and the Sultan. In May 1890 the D.O.A.G station was taken over by von Wissmann. The photo below shows how the ruined building looks like a few years ago, see also Ref 1 page 63.The same reference book also shows many early monuments in Kilwa and their background. Very interesting is that the architectural elements from ruins in Kilwa shown in ref 1 page 39, are also used in antique Safavid Persian copper-ware found in Nizwa Oman, see the "imports to Oman" section of our website. Ref 1 page 29 top left shows Islamic pottery similar to that found in Qalhat Oman.The common historic link is the probably seaborn kingdom of Hormuz (10-16th cent) run by Persians and Arabs (Omani).

This is how the Boma looked a few years ago |