Stone Town thrives at the heart of Zanzibar's capital and rests as a place where the modern world meets the old. It is located on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Its newer portion is known as Ng'ambo. Constructed in the 19th century, the town is blessed with decorations of old buildings and ancient architecture. These are further complimented by the prevailing swahili culture to form a distinct environment of traditional East Africa. The monuments, memories and memories of the town's past are partly what provide for its golden rank among the mentions in that part of the world. This exceptional cultural significance and diverse treasure adds to the reasons why it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The town is punctuated with labyrinths of narrow alleys in addition to other roads that make it easy for navigation on foot.
Stone town is a mix of cultures and flavours. There is a clear reflection of Arab, Persian, Indian and European elements in addition to the Swahili culture. This can be seen through the intricate doorway designs, dressing stlyes and ways of living. There is a notable difference between an Arab and an Indian door, including the most famous door in Stone Town, the one at Tippu Tip’s House, who was a Zanzibarian slave and ivory trader in the 18th century. Everywhere, the air is suffused with the aroma of exotic fruit and fragrant spices, which are grown in different areas of the island and then sold in the market places. The area is outstandingly stunning with noises of a busy and bustling city that is endowed with a chance to pray and a place to party. Five-times-daily calls to prayer from the mosques is a normal phenomenon.
Within the town, traditional dhows (sailing boats) line the harbour alongside yachts and catamarans to form a colorful spectacle along the open ocean. This kind of feeling is limited to the rarest of the treasures.
Stone town is designed by various structures, treasures and places that outstandingly narrate the history of the ancient days. Some of places you can visit on your Stone Town Tour include the House of Wonders, also called "Palace of Wonders and is probably the most well-known of all the landmarks of Stone Town. It was built in 1883 and restored after the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896. It stands as a formerly Sultan's residence, giving one the chance to appreciate the magnificent luxuriance of the long-gone Sultans. The house of wonders was also the first building to have electricity in Zanzibar as well as the first lift in East Africa.
Adjacent to the House of wonders is the Old fort, which is a heavy stone fortress that was artistically constructed in the 17th century by the Omanis to protect the city from European invasions. It currently also serves as the location for the Zanzibar film festival. North to the House of wonders also lies the Palace museum, which also acted as a home to the Sultan’s family. Further adventure and excursion into Stone town leads you to the Anglican cathedral of Christ Church which was built at the end of the 19th century in a large area at the centre of Stone Town that previously hosted the biggest slave market of Zanzibar. The altar of the church lies at the exact place where the main whipping post of the slave market used to be, something that everyone lifts in altitude as a sign of victory. While there, memory recalls the efforts of those that fought the trade so much, and your mind relaxes in happiness with a sigh. A monument to the slaves, as well as a museum on the history of slavery, lie just besides the church, serving as empirical evidence that throws light on the transition of civilisation, man and trade. Other places to visit include the Roman catholic cathedral (St. Joseph) as well as the phenomenal Forodhani gardens. More adventure starts posing “you-are-welcome-here-gestures” after your Stonetown escapade, most of which includes the lush and spectacular white-sand beaches!!
Some of the accomodation facilities in Stone Town include:
- Tembo Hotel and Dhow Palace Hotel which are sister hotels.
- Emerson on Hurumzi and Emerson Spice. These are also sister hotels.
- Beyt al Chai
- Zanzibar Palace Hotel
- Zanzibar Coffee House
- Zanzibar Coffee House
- Africa House Hotel
- Mbweni Ruins Hotel
- Park Hyatt Zanzibar
Getting there
By Air.
Most visitors to the island fly first to Dar el salaam on mainland Tanzania, and then take a short regional service to Zanzibar. Small Tanzanian carriers (particularly coastal airways and Zain air) offer a frequent schedule of flights that hop back and forth across the Zanzibar channels and this is by far the quickest and easiest way to reach the islands from mainland Tanzania.
There are also other flights between Zanzibar and Nairobi.
Direct flights also occur between Europe and Zanzibar, although they are chartered flights run by mass tour operators based in Italy, France and Spain.
Note: there is a departure tax of US$30 when flying out of mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar airport on an international flight.
By sea.
From Kenya; Dhows carrying people from Kenya to Zanzibar are available but very rare.
From mainland Tanzania: several large passenger ships run daily between Dar el salaam, Zanzibar and Pemba, and less frequently to other points of the mainland.
