History of Pangani

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We traveled this last week down to the Tanga region and while we where there, we were able to walk around and take a historical tour of the Pangani coastal village. Settled just North of Dar es Salam along the Indian ocean off the eastern coast of Tanzania. The largest town near Pangani is called Tanga, which is about 47km away. We have a church that meets in Tanga, but we were unable to locate it while we were there but no church of Christ meeting in Pangani. In fact the locals said that there are no Europeans, Americans, and very few other nationalities of any kind living in Pangani proper... They said maybe one Indian family and that was all that they could think of. Since we have returned home we've located the phone number of Godfrey who is one of the members of the church in Tanga for a future point of contact, for a return visit to the area for a great possible area of evengelism and outreach for the church in Northeastern Tanzania.

The origin of the Pangani River leaves the base of Kilimanjaro and runs the 5 hour trip out to the coast where the mouth of this crocodile infested river meets the Indian Ocean. This river mouth is the source of several historical events in the country of Tanzania. It's fascinating rich culture goes back and the locals can recount the past 100 years of daily life and trials.... There were historical slave route buildings, ruins, monuments, and Ancient Asian sea wall along the river sides, an old German post office, an abandoned old British Hospital, and the oldest African sea harbor, the slave market center for which Pangani received it's name (meaning "to sort") there was an open triangular market in the town center with a stage like platform off to the side where the slaves would be marched out of the prisons and sorted by potential owners and divided before being led down into the sea corridors and loaded onto the ships awaiting them in the harbors... Now the platform and triangle patch of land are still there, and the Country has set them aside as a permanent memorial and placed the date of their independence and freedom from slavery and other countries on the front of the stage....

We were lead through the buildings where the slaves were held and sorted and some beaten for a test of their strength and those who failed to pass the strength test were then led out back to a second prison area for a cheaper sale lot and then past that was the building in which they were hanged to their death if not purchased before the smugglers time for departure.... Then there were tunnels underneath the prison walls down near the sea with open bays entering into the ocean during the high tides where they disposed of the bodies by allowing them to wash out to sea.... It was a sad piece of history to endure.... but one that we were enlightened to hear more about from the local African point of view....

The local tour guide said that the history of Pangani could be traced back before 2750 BC and was known then as "Rhapta" There are traces of Arab, Asian, German, British, and Colonial rule in this area of Tanzania. This town was notorious for it's slave smuggling and trading routes. There is even an old German submarine ruin left lying on the floor of the Pangani River bed just at the opening to the ocean... you can see the outlines of the sub in the distance during the low tides. This area was also well known for it's trade winds that constantly brought in traders from foreign lands and forced them to stay in the area for up to 6 months awaiting the winds to shift directions.... The River beds are lined with mangroves and coconut trees, crab fishermen and broke down sea vessels line the river... the wooden D-how ships are all along the coast... You can take a trip across the ferry to the other side of the river, but we weren't there long enough to try to get that accomplished.... Along the other side of the river, is an old German watch tower and the area where the Sisal plant was first introduced and grown in Tanzania by the famous botanist, Dr. Hindroph in 1892 and now is a thriving business to this day of many locals in this area.

We learned an abundance of information about the history of Tanzania from what seemed at first sight to be this dirty little African coastal village... Without stopping to talk to the locals and taking the time to take the tour, we would have missed so much!


With Love From Africa,

Brent & Julie Richardson and Family
PO Box 1727
Arusha, Tanzania
East Africa

www.tanzaniamissionreport.com

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Photos

Wooden D-how awaiting the local fishermen
fishermen rise at the break of day to catch the high tides out to sea...

The amazing "Zanzibar doors"
These doors were used to mark the entrance of slave dealers, when there was a chain carved into the door the smugglers knew that was the home of a slave dealer....

beautiful red blooms...
a great walk through the town... shaded by these gorgeous blooms..

coconut trade center
once a slave market building now used for trading coconuts.....

Irony....
While learning about the slave trade through this area... an African run wooden boat docks nearby flying the confederate flag....

Mouth of the River....
Where the Pagani river meets the Indian Ocean...