The door is usually the first and foremost key element of Swahili architecture and was the historically first item that was built before the rest of the home.
The oldest Swahili doors are found along with the East African coast from Mozambique Island to the northern coast of Kenya especially in older Swahili cities and towns such as Bagamoyo, Mikindani, Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu, Tanga and Zanzibar.
The doors were considered a mark of status and prestige for wealthy Swahili merchant families especially in the old sections of Zanzibar attaining impressive dimensions in terms of size and carving details.
This transfer was due to the caravan trade routes during the 19th century as the Arab and Swahili merchants established more recent settlements in the Tanzanian interior to facilitate the trade of ivory and enslaved people for the global market taking their doors carving tradition to build the homes of the rich traders.
[citation needed] The doors themselves are not carved, instead, they are horizontally studded with metal tiers usually made of Brass or cast iron that are seven centimeters long.
The Swahili designs of the doorframes and carved motifs are divided into two types; the classic rectangular frames and the later ones in the 19th century were distinguished with arched lintels.
the motifs in the classical style are usually the frankincense tree, lotus, rosette, chain, date palm, and fish.