Zanzibar’s tropical capital has
two distinct halves. Modern
Ng’ambo is packed with
businesses, housing and office
blocks, but the heart of the city
lies across the old creek in Stone
Town (Mji Mkongwe). Coral-
stone palaces crumble alongside
forts and mosques, bikes
clatter through alleyways and
kids run amok at the seafront
market, slurping on super-fruity
sugarcane smoothies.
Hamamni
Persian Baths
The Hamamni baths were built
for Sultan Barghash bin Said
during the late 19th century,
but they were open to wealthy
members of the public, too.
They offered hot and cold
baths, toilets, shaving areas and
a restaurant. The hot water was
provided by a clever system
of underground aqueducts.
The taps are off now, but
the baths were fully working
until 1920.
House of Wonders
Sultan Barghash bin Said, the second sultan of
Zanzibar, is credited with building most of Stone
Town. Barghash lived in the city with his royal wives,
kept wild animals chained up for display in front of
his palace and had the main door made wide enough
to ride an elephant through. Inside, his grand house
boasted many modern ‘wonders’, including electricity
and an elevator. There was once a lighthouse too, but
this was blown up during the shortest war in history.
The Anglo-Zanzibar War took place on 27 August
1896 and lasted around 40 minutes.
Forodhani Gardens
An ocean-facing park stretches along the main seawall
of Stone Town. During the day, local kids run through the
Forodhani Gardens and laugh as they leap from the wall
into the bay. After sunset, a market sells Zanzibar pizza
(savoury chapati dough parcels), samosas, sensational
seafood and all sorts of Swahili style treats and eats.
Slave Market
Memorial
The world’s last legal slave
markets traded in Stone
Town, until they were finally
closed down in 1873. A
guesthouse now operates
above the cellars where
men and women were
kept in awful, crowded
conditions. A cathedral
was built on the site of the
biggest market. Thought-
provoking statues of five
chained slaves stand in the
ground outside.
Old Fort
Ngome Kongwe – Stone Town’s
oldest building – has been on
quite a journey since it was first
built. It has served as a prison
and a place of execution, a
ladies tennis club and a centre
for the arts. Omani Arabs
constructed the fort in 1698
to defend themselves from
the Portuguese.