Publication Date
Spring 2025
Abstract
Caves along the East African Swahili coast are more than geological formations—they are spiritual landscapes where the boundaries between visible and invisible worlds collapse. This paper explores the ritual and religious significance of three caves on Misali Island, a small coral rag island off the coast of Pemba in the Zanzibar Archipelago. Drawing on vegetation surveys and three weeks of ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews with local fishermen, waganga (healers), and marine rangers, this study investigates how these caves serve as sites of prayer, healing, and spirit veneration. It argues that the practices performed within and around these caves exemplify the intertwined nature of Islamic and local ritual systems, challenging binaries between dini (orthodox religion) and mila (customary practice). Through analysis of spatial theory, Swahili cosmology, and embodied ritual, the paper shows how Misali’s caves function as dynamic cultural institutions that maintain relevance in the contemporary world through their unique presence and mediation of socio-ecological relationships.
Disciplines
Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Recommended Citation
Gordon, Everett, " Spiritual Geographies and Living Ritual: Misali Island’s Caves in Swahili Religious Life in Zanzibar" (2025). Tanzania-Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management . 4.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/tzz/4