<P> In the early fourteenth century, Sultan al - Hasan ibn Sulaiman, who also built the nearby Palace of Husuni Kubwa, added a southern extension which included a great dome . This dome was described by Ibn Battuta after he visited Kilwa in 1331 . </P> <P> Husuni Kubwa (the "Great Fort"), situated outside the town, was an early 14th - century sultan's palace and emporium . Other defining features include causeways and platforms at the entrance of the Harbour made from blocks of reef and coral nearly a meter high . These act as breakwaters, allowing mangroves to grow which is one of the ways the breakwater can be spotted from a distance . Some parts of the causeway are made from the bedrock, but usually the bedrock was used as a base . Coral stone was used to build up the causeways with sand and lime being used to cement the cobbles together . Some of the stones were left loose . </P> <P> The Palace of Husuni Kubwa is a ruined structure on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in Tanzania . The majority of the palace was erected in the 14th century by Sultan al - Hasan ibn Sulaiman, who also built an extension to the nearby Great Mosque of Kilwa, although portions may date back to the 13th century . The palace was inhabited only for a brief period of time, and abandoned before its completion . </P> <P> The structure was built out of coral stone on a high bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean . It consists of three major elements: a south court, used primarily for commerce; a residential complex including over one hundred individual rooms; and a wide stairway leading down a mosque that was situated on the beach . Other notable features include pavilion, which likely served as a reception hall, and an octagonal swimming pool . All of Husuni Kubwa spans across approximately two acres . The coral rag was set in limestone mortar and cut stone was used for decorative pieces, door jams, and vaults . The rooms were about 3 meters tall . The roof was made from cut limestone blocks laid across cut timbers and the floors were white plaster . The main entrance to Husuni Kubwa is from the shore . Most of the imported glazed pottery recovered at the site was Chinese celadon, though there were a few Ying Ch'ing stoneware sherds present . A Yuan dynasty flask dated to about A.D. 1300 . It is interesting to note that neither the Kilwa Chronicle nor any Portuguese accounts describe a building comparable to Husuni Kubwa . </P>

Who was the palace of husuni kubwa built for