Mikeka Hero

Mikeka is a Swahili word which refers to woven mats. Primarily crafted by women, they are symbols of identity, tradition, and social connection. Whether laid out in homes or exchanged as gifts on special occasions, mikeka embody a heritage of artistry and communal ties, where every frond carries whispers of the past into the present.

Zuwena Msellem reciting the mikeka poem, Faza Island

gathered for a purpose, let us praise the mikeka

This poem was composed and recited by the poet Zuwena Msellem from Faza Island...

Tricolour mkeka from 1907, Ethnologisches Museum Berlin

mikeka in Berlin

Preserved at the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin since 1907, this tricolour mkeka bears a Swahili invocation poem in Arabic letters…

Bahati Hassan Ruli and Namkuu Mukaraji producing a tricolour mkeka

Bahati Matte

Master weavers Bahati Hassan Ruli and Namkuu Mukaraji produced a tricolour mkeka, following the historical mats in Berlin…

Baraza la Wanawake, the women's council during the Talking Mats workshop

Plaiting Poems / Baraza la wanawake

The Baraza la Wanawake – “Women’s Council” – where plaiters practised their skill while engaging in poetic dialogue…

Two Berlin mats linked through their interwoven call-and-response poems

Talking Mats – Mat Mates Conversation

Two mats linked by interwoven call-and-response poems – materialising the Swahili oral-literary dialogue between households…

Talking Mats workshop in Lamu Town, September 2024

Collaborative Workshop

In September 2024 a three-day workshop in Lamu Town brought together more than 40 knowledge bearers, weavers and academics…

Tuzithamini turathi — poem by Ustadh Mahmoud Ahmad Abdulqadir Mau

Tuzithamini turathi

“Tuzithamini turathi” – “Let Us Value Cultural Heritage” – composed by Ustadh Mahmoud Ahmad Abdulqadir Mau for the Berlin collection…

Interactive PDF: Key Information on historical mikeka in Berlin

Interactive PDF – documented legacies

The interactive PDF on the Berlin mikeka collection compiles photographs, audio and interpretations of the mats’ messages…

Opening of the Talking Mats exhibition, Lamu Museums, 7 August 2025

Eröffnung

The Talking Mats exhibition launched in all four venues of the Lamu Museums on 7 August 2025 as a traditional Swahili community event…

Master plaiter Bahati Hassan Ruli preparing mkindu fronds

From the seed to plaited patterns

Master plaiter Bahati Hassan Ruli explains how mkindu (wild date palm) is harvested, dried, and dyed before plaiting…

Praise poem to Bwana Kisitavu woven into Mat 8

Bwana Kisitavu

A praise poem to Bwana Kisitavu – the German-born Gustav Denhardt – for his successful adjustment to Swahili culture…

Muhammad bin Abubakar Kijumwa — scribe, poet and master woodcarver

Kijumwa

Muhammad bin Abubakar, nicknamed Kijumwa – scribe, poet, musician and master woodcarver, close friend of Gustav Denhardt…

Pokomo initiation song accompanying young women's return to the community

Making Mikeka

A Pokomo initiation song praising the aesthetic and practical significance of plaiting for young women returning to the community…

Gustav Denhardt (1856–1917), trader and planter on the East African coast

Gustav Denhardt

Born in Zeitz, Gustav Denhardt spent most of his life on the East African coast as a trader, planter and Kiswahili translator…

Mikeka as gifts during Swahili wedding ceremonies

Mat Mates

Mikeka play a significant role in a person’s life cycle and in interpersonal relationships – e.g. as exchange gifts during wedding celebrations…

Muhammad bin Abubakar Kijumwa — scribe, poet and master woodcarver

Kijumwa

Muhammad bin Abubakar, nicknamed Kijumwa – scribe, poet, musician and master woodcarver, close friend of Gustav Denhardt…

Khadija Shee, mat weaver from Matondoni, producing majamvi mats

Collaborative Research in Matondoni

Khadija Shee, mat weaver from Matondoni, explains the process of producing majamvi mats from the mkoma (doum palm)…

Witu land — Denhardt brothers' 1884 land negotiations with the Sultan of Witu

Colonial Cartographies

Witu became a political stronghold in the late 19th century – the Denhardt brothers negotiated land rights with the Sultan of Witu in 1884…

Glossary of Kiswahili mat-making terminology

Einzelbeitrag zum Glossary

A glossary of Kiswahili terms on the handicraft of plaiting – an evolving resource built through dialogue and shared knowledge…