TEHRAN— A scientific gathering of ‘Shirazi city-states in East Africa’ was held by the Cultural Heritage Ministry’s Research Institute with the participation of the head of the institute, Mohammad-Ebrahim Zarei.

According to Miras-e Arya (CHTN), Morteza Rezvanfar, a faculty member of the institute, introduced a number of the heritages left behind by these city-states based on field surveys in Tanzania and Kenya. 

He said that many studies and books have been compiled by British, German, Portuguese, African, Arabian and Iranian researchers regarding the civilization of Shirazi people in East of Africa. 

Pointing to the history and role of Shirazi people in forming the city-states of East of Africa, he said: “a large Shiraz tribe led by Ali ibn Hassan Shirazi migrated from the Persian Gulf to East Africa in seven ships in 957 CE and established the city-states in several locations. They ruled these regions for 500 years and founded a new race called the Afro-Shirazi, who inherited a new style in architecture, language, religion, and rituals.”

He added that based on the field and historical documents, many persons and groups in East of Africa including Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, and Sumali call themselves Shirazi and are very competitive and committed to preserving the Shirazi race, citing the extensive and fundamental services of their Shirazi ancestors in the spread of civilization, urbanization, shipping, and global trade in Africa. 

Pointing to some of Shirazi city-states in East of Africa such as Kilwa Kisiwani, Kaole, Zanzibar, Mombasa, and Lamu, he said: “Unfortunately, the aforementioned monuments are at risk of severe destruction due to the lack of attention, and steps should be taken to restore and protect these world monuments by guiding the tourist tours, encouraging the administrators of the southern provinces to communicate with these countries, and also by corresponding with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant agencies.”

Zarei reminded that following the pursuit made by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Islamic Culture and Communication Organization, the issue of cooperation with the governments of Tanzania and Kenya to protect the common heritage of Iran and the aforementioned countries will be examined.

In this regard, a meeting will be held with researchers and relevant agencies to explain the relevant dimensions and areas and determine the roadmap, he added.

The relations between Iran and East Africa are captured well by depicting the impact of the Shirazi (Persian) civilization on the East African coast. But some influential scholars claim that historians tend to dismiss or trivialize the role played by the Shirazis in East Africa. 

The demonstrable impact of Shirazi civilization in East Africa is evident in the expansion of trade between the East African coast and the Persian Gulf region with the expansion of Islam. 

The Persian language has bequeathed to the Kiswahili language many lexicons that are presently still accessible in the region. Persian poets influenced Kiswahili literature through their classic works. The influence of Persian architecture is seen in Shirazi building styles throughout cities including Zanzibar, Kilwa and Manda. 

Thus, Shirazis brought Persian traditions and customs to East Africa, and some Shirazis intermarried with the Arabs and local communities. There is enough enduring historical evidence to demonstrate incontrovertibly the impact of the Shirazis in social, economic and political aspects of East African life. This legacy arguably justifies greater contemporary cooperation between East African nation states and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

KD