red paint

Evidence

"Chittick noted traces of red paint on the ceiling, so the mosque may have been painted in bright colours."

Remarks

The archaeological study of the fifteenth-century mosque at Songo Mnara identified traces of red paint applied to the ceiling (p. 229). The author indicates that this finding suggests the mosque was originally decorated with bright colors (p. 229). The ceiling itself consisted of coral tiles embedded in mortar, which were engraved with motifs of concentric circles before the application of color (p. 229). The roof structure eventually collapsed in 1530 (p. 229).