Kilimanjaro to Kilwa Kisiwani
Tanzania is a country that encompasses an extraordinary history and an abundance of natural wonders; therefore, it is no surprise Tanzania has eight World Heritage sites. These chosen sites are a fundamental reminder of why interaction between people and nature must balance preservation and conservation between the two.
KILIMANAJARO NATIONAL PARK
The Kilimanjaro National Park is located near Moshi, Tanzania. It is centred on the icon and dramatic snow-clad slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro which covers an area of 753 km ( 291 square miles) in 1973, the mountain above tree lie was classified as a National Park ad was opened to public access in 1977, but it wasn't until 1987 UNESCO listed the park a a World Heritage Site.
KONDOA ROCK ART SITES
The Kondoa rock art site is a series of caves carved into the side of a hill looking out over the steppe. The cave site is nine kilometers off the main highway of Kondoa to Arusha, about 20 km north of Kondoa. The site has a spectacular collection of images from over 150 shelters depicting elongated people, animals, and hunting scenes. Today many of the shelters are still considered to have ritual associations with the people who0 live nearby, reflecting their beliefs, rituals, and cosmological traditions.
THE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
The Ngorongoro Conservations Area ( NCA)boasts the finest blend of landscapes, wildlife, people, and archaeological sites in Africa and is situated 180 km west of Arusha. The rich pasture and permanent water of the Crater floor supports a large resident population of wildlife of up to 25,000- predominantly grazing animals. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority administers the Conservation area, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro Division. It covers an area of 8288 km ( 3200 Square miles).
SELOUS GAME RESERVE
The Selous Game Reserve covers a total area of 54,600 km ( 21,081n square miles) and is one of the largest fauna reserves of the world, located in the south of Tanzania. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the diversity of its wildlife and undisturbed nature. The reserve is home to typical savannah animals such as elephants, hippopotami, rare African wild dogs, and crocodiles, all found in more significant numbers than any other African park.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The Serengeti National Park is Tanzania's oldest park and one of the world's great wildlife refuges, hence its World Heritage Site. It is most famous for its annual migration of over one million white bearded ( for brindled) wildebeest and 200,000 zebra. The park covers 14,763 km (5700 square miles) of grassland plains and savannah and riverine forest and woodlands. The park lies in the north of the country, bordered to the north of the national Tanzania and Kenyan border, where it is contiguous with the Masai Mara National Reserve.
STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR
Stone Town orMji Mkongwe in Swahili, meaning" ancient town," is the old part of Zanzibar City. The old town is built on a triangular peninsula of land on the island's western coast and was awarded World Heritage Site status in 2000. Justification for the inscription, includes: Its rich cultural fusion and harmonization. Its great symbolic importance in the suppression of slavery. The intense seaborne trading activity between Asia and Africa, which is illustrated today in the exceptional architecture and urban structure of Stone Town.
RUINS OF KILWA KISIWANI AND RUINS OF SONGO MNARA
The remains of two great East African ports admired by early European explorers are situated on two small islands near the coast. From the 13th to the 16th century, the merchants of Kilwa dealt in gold, silver, pearls, perfumes, Arabian crockery. Persian earthware and Chinese porcelain; much of the trade in the Indian Ocean thus passed through their hands. Serious archaeological investigation began in the 1950s. In 1981 it was declared a World Heritage Site and noted visitor sites are the Great Mosque, the Mkutini Palace, and some remarkable ruins. However, the ruins are also on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The list constitutes a call to improve their safeguarding and is designed to rally national and international efforts for their preservation.
“A people without the knowledge of their past, origin, and culture is like a tree with no roots.”