A Swahili woman winnows grain outside her home while her young son grasps a large pestle and mortar beside her. Her house, like most others in the village, is made of coral rag.The chequered history of Faza dates back several hundred years. It was destroyed by Pate in the 13th century and again by the Portuguese in 1586. The inhabitants then switched their allegiance to the Portuguese in the 17th century in an attempt to subdue troublesome Pate. Faza declined in significance in the 18th and 19th centuries and is now a backwater.