Mkama Ndume Ruins

Mkama Ndume Ruins is a 15th-century fortified settlement near Pujini village in Chake Chake District, on the island of Pemba. According to local tradition recorded by archaeologists and Tanzania's Antiquities Division, it was ruled by Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, a leader remembered for his cruelty and nicknamed 'Mkame Ndume' (loosely, 'milker of men') — a name that has since attached itself to the ruins. The site was abandoned before the Portuguese arrived on the East African coast in the 16th century. What survives is built from coral rag in the Swahili and Islamic architectural tradition of the period, and the settlement is particularly noted for its fortifications. It is listed as a National Historic Site of Tanzania, currently classified as endangered, and is managed by the Antiquities Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.