Information
Landmark: Zanzibar (Stone Town)City: Zanzibar
Country: Tanzania
Continent: Africa
Zanzibar (Stone Town), Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa
Overview
Stone Town, the winding, spice-scented heart of Zanzibar City, is among Tanzania’s most captivating and culturally vibrant places.Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, weaves Arab, Persian, Indian, and European influences into narrow alleys scented with cloves, offering a vivid look at Zanzibar’s history as a hub for the spice trade, the slave market, and a meeting point of cultures from around the world.Zanzibar Island, just off Africa’s east coast in Tanzania, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.The dry season, from June to October, is the perfect time to wander its spice-scented streets and explore a past shaped by trade, culture, and striking architecture.Stone Town is famous for its maze of narrow lanes, ornate Swahili doorways, and centuries-old landmarks.While you might pay a small fee to step inside certain historic buildings, wandering its sunlit streets is free.The House of Wonders (Beit-al-Ajaib), one of Stone Town’s most famous landmarks, was built in the late 19th century as a palace for the Sultans of Zanzibar.Its striking design includes a wide, shaded verandah and an airy balcony where you can watch the rooftops spill toward the glittering Indian Ocean.Inside, a museum tells the island’s story through exhibits on Swahili culture, the sultanate’s past, and Zanzibar’s role in the spice trade.Nearby, the Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe), built by the Omanis in the late 17th century to fend off Portuguese attacks, now buzzes with concerts, art shows, and stalls selling hand-carved goods.The courtyard often hosts local events and performances, filling the air with music and laughter, while the fort invites visitors to wander its sturdy walls, study the town’s defensive design, and take in sweeping views from the top.The Sultan’s Palace (Beit al-Sahel), set near the seafront, once served as the 19th-century home of Zanzibar’s sultans and now houses a museum rich with artifacts that reveal royal life, the sultans’ rule, and the island’s role as a bustling trade hub.It’s an especially rewarding stop for anyone curious about the region’s royal past and Zanzibar’s influence across the Indian Ocean.The old Slave Market in Stone Town stands as a sobering reminder of the East African slave trade; its grounds, once the site of auctions, are now home to the Anglican Cathedral of Christ Church, built in 1873.Inside, the altar rests where slaves were once chained, making it both a powerful historical marker and an emotional place to reflect, while the small adjacent museum traces the region’s history of slavery.Along the waterfront, Forodhani Gardens draws crowds of locals and travelers alike, especially as the evening breeze carries the scent of grilled seafood through the air.It’s best known for its lively night market, where the air smells of grilling seafood and sweet Zanzibar pizza sizzles on hot pans.At night, the gardens glow under soft lights, offering a peaceful spot to watch the Indian Ocean.The Old Dispensary, once a medical clinic for locals, still stands as an elegant reminder of the island’s past.Dating back to the late 19th century, the building showcases Zanzibar’s vibrant mix of Arab, Indian, and European design, with intricate wood carvings etched into its walls and broad, shaded balconies that catch the afternoon breeze.Today it’s home to a museum filled with centuries-old medical tools and relics, offering a vivid glimpse into how people once practiced healing; the Hamamni Persian Baths, with their echoing chambers and worn stone floors, stand as a lasting reminder of Persian influence in Zanzibar.The baths, built in the early 1900s, once offered the wealthy a lavish escape, with men and women soaking in separate tiled rooms.Though silent now, they still reveal the ornate bathing traditions that shaped Zanzibar’s past.Today, visitors can wander among the crumbling ruins, discovering how public baths once shaped the daily routines of the town’s elite.In Stone Town, one of the true pleasures is losing yourself in its maze of narrow alleys, where sunlight spills across carved wooden doors and weathered stone walls.Here’s what you’ll see-like the first page in a well-worn notebook: 1.In Stone Town, Swahili architecture steals the spotlight with towering wooden doors, carvings fine as lace, and balconies that blend Arab, Indian, Persian, and European influences.The houses press close together, turning the old streets into a winding maze.The result is a warm, inviting atmosphere that feels like stepping back a few hundred years, the air scented with cloves.All through Stone Town, market stalls spill over with woven baskets, carved wood, glinting jewelry, and piles of fragrant spices.Zanzibar’s spice trade is famous worldwide, with shops spilling over with cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg, their scents drifting into the street.Just outside Stone Town, the popular spice tour lets visitors explore the history and cultivation of these treasures.In the heart of Stone Town, the culture runs deep-you might hear Taarab music floating from a courtyard, its Arabic, Indian, and African notes weaving together in the warm evening air.You might stumble onto a live performance or catch the music drifting out of a corner café.Zanzibar’s food tells its own story, rich with spices, fresh seafood, and fragrant rice.Don’t miss the Zanzibar pizza, fragrant biriyani, and a rich seafood curry that tastes of the sea.Stone Town comes alive with festivals, from the drumbeats of Sauti za Busara to the red carpets of the Zanzibar International Film Festival.Getting there’s easy-Zanzibar International Airport sits just 7 kilometers from the heart of town.You can fly straight to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, Kenya, and other big cities across East Africa, with planes landing daily.If you’d rather come by sea, a ferry from Dar es Salaam will bring you right into Stone Town, where the scent of cloves drifts from the harbor.The ferry runs daily between the two cities and takes around two hours, enough time to watch the coastline slip by.From Zanzibar Airport, you can hop in a taxi and reach Stone Town with ease.The ride usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes.From June to October, the dry season makes it perfect for wandering Stone Town’s narrow alleys and relaxing on Zanzibar’s sunlit beaches.November to May brings the wet season, when rain can leave the cobblestones slick and glistening.