In Kilwa the families lived in fine houses made of coral and stone. They slept in beds made out of ivory. Their meals were served on porcelain. Wealthy Muslim women wore silk robes and gold and silver bracelets. New forms of literature were created, including tendi (epic poetry) and mashairi (lyric songs) which were both written in Swahili.

Culture

The word Zimbabwe comes from a Shona phrase meaning “stone houses" because Great Zimbabwe was built of large amounts of stone. Not for defensive purposes, but to impress visitors and show their strength. Archaeologists believe the construction of the city took 400 years. There are detailed sculptures that focus on African folklore. They use an abstract and minimalist approach to all of their artwork. Most songs and performances were based off of the rhythm and sound of the Mbira which is a finger piano that the people of Zimbabwe have been using for hundreds of years. A taboo that Great Zimbabwe believed in was that eggs caused infertility in women so they were avoided. Another taboo was that the animals represented on a clan's totem were sacred to that clan, so those animals were rarely eaten.