Stone Town is a well-known tourist area in Zanzibar’s Urban West Region. As a Swahili coastal trading town, it reflects cultural influences from Africa, the Arab region, India, and Europe. The historic townscape combines narrow, winding streets and groups of low buildings with large mansions on the seafront. Together with open spaces, these elements form an urban settlement that reflects the longstanding trade between the African and Asian coasts.

Houses, layouts, and materials

For the houses, architecture begins with the materials: they are made mainly of coral limestone and mangrove wood. The wood was set in thick lime mortar; the buildings were then plastered and whitewashed. Construction methods and urban planning also reflect Swahili, Indian, Arab, and European influences. The two-storey houses arrange long, narrow rooms around open courtyards, which are accessed through narrow corridors. The exterior facades are notable for their elaborately carved double Zanzibar doors. The materials, room layouts, and facade design thus reveal different aspects of the construction methods.

Historic buildings and their functions

Important historic buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries include the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the Old Dispensary, St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Tippu Tip’s residence, Malindi Bamnara Mosque, Jamat Khan, the Royal Cemetery, and Hamamni and other Persian baths. The House of Wonders was built as a grand ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash. Jamat Khan was built for the Ismaili community. The different buildings thus point to ceremonial and religious purposes as well as the city’s diverse architecture.

Remembrance and handicrafts

Christ Church Anglican Cathedral commemorates David Livingstone’s work to abolish the slave trade and stands on the site of the last slave market. Both points are relevant to the historical context: the remembrance of the work to abolish the trade and the specific site of the last market.

On the ground floor of the Zanzibar Conservation Centre, there is a publicly accessible exhibition and sales area for handicrafts. This adds another cultural perspective to the exploration of architectural styles: here, the focus is on handicrafts as works displayed and sold. Architecture and handicrafts offer different ways of engaging with the place, without being experienced in the same way.

Stone Town in the wider context of Tanzania

Tanzania’s broader travel destination provides a wider geographical context through its coastline. It is more than 804 kilometres long and includes the islands of Unguja and Pemba, which together form Zanzibar, as well as Mafia Island. Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were also Swahili trading towns. Their prosperity was based, particularly from the 13th to the 16th century, on controlling trade in the Indian Ocean with Arabia, India, and China. This period offers a historical comparison with Stone Town: the cultural influences in its buildings have come together over more than a millennium. Tanzania is thus home to different histories of trade, while Stone Town’s streetscape, houses, and architectural forms provide a local perspective.

Explore more destinations

Explore more destinations: Urban, Selem, Mbweni, Fumba, Bububu, Grave Island, Zanzibar City, Morogoro.

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