Kilwa Kisiwani Island was once the trading center of the Swahili Empire. The ruins of the settlement still remain and are considered to be on of the most important Swahili historical sites in East Africa which attracts many historians. The famous traveler and chronicler Ibn Battuta visited Kilwa in the 14th century, describing his admiration for the architecture and graceful situation of the capital city. Later the island became a trading post for slaves traveling north from Mauritius and Mozambique. The end for the town’s supremacy as a trading port came when it was sacked by a tribe of cannibals in 1588.