The Yao had close ties with the Swahili on the coast during the late 19th century and adopted some parts of their culture, such as architecture and Islam, but still kept their own national identity.
約奧人在19世紀後期與海岸的斯瓦希里人有著密切的聯繫，並採納了他們文化的一些部分，如建築和伊斯蘭教，但仍保留著自己的民族特徵。