Zanzibar Town

• Stone Town
• Majestic architecture

Zanzibar Town is situated about halfway along the west coast of the Zanzibar Island.  The town is the cultural centre of Zanzibar that rose to prominence in the 17th century, and is said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.

Zanzibar Town is a fascinating place and a fine example of a Swahili coastal trading town, divided into two sections by Creek Road.  On the west side is the “heart” of Zanzibar Town where the old quarters are, this sections is usually known as Stone Town.  Arab and Indian merchants built many of the buildings during the 19th century from the island’s coral stone, when Zanzibar was one of the most important trading centres on the Indian Ocean.  A fascination for visitors is the maze of narrow streets and alleyways that wind in between the buildings.

On the east side of Creek Road is the part of town that used to be called Ng’ambo (‘the other side’), which is now called the ‘New City’.  This area is mainly covered by one-storey buildings, covering a much larger area than Stone Town. This area is where the poorer African and Swahili people lived, while the richer people used to live in Stone Town. 
 
Along the waterfront the Sultan’s Palace and the immense Beit-el-Ajaib (“House of Wonders”) with it’s magnificent latticed woodcarving can be visited along with numerous mosques, bathhouses and old forts.  A spice tour is a speciality of Zanzibar and guided tours take visitors on a walking and tasting tour of various spices and fruit plantations at the heart of the island.