Stone Town, Zanzibar
The capital of the archipelago of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean is Zanzibar City, which is located in Stone Town, the erstwhile capital of the Zanzibar sultanate. In Swahili, the stone Town in known as Mji Mkongwe, meaning the old town. The stone Town is the place where you will find museums of slave trade. This place was declared as UNESCO World Heritage site in circa 2000.
The stone Town is not very far from the airport, so we stopped on our way to our resort, while driving from the airport. It's located on the Western side of the archipelago and is hotter than the rest of the island.
The stone Town is of immense cultural significance. It was the centre of the Indian Ocean slave trade and if spice trade too. During the British protectorate, it was the centre of commerce. When Zanzibar was acquired by Tanganyika (erstwhile Tanzania) to form the United Republic of Tanzania, Zanzibar retained a semi autonomous state, with Stone Town as the capital.
Political history aside, this place is an epitome of Swahili culture; which is a blend of African, Arabic, Persian and Indian culture. This is very much apparent from the architecture and food habits there. There is a big Arya Samaj Mandir. You will find many food items resembling Indian food like Pilao (pulao) , faratha (Paratha) etc. It's important to respect the local culture there, so even if you are tempted to roam around in bikinis after coming out of the ocean on the streets, please don't.
The Stone Town is also the birthplace of the world famous singer Freddie Mercury. This British singer/ songwriter was born here, and then brought up in Bombay, India, where he created music and became world famous. His band was known as "Queens" which churned out chartbusters like " We will rock you " , "We are the champions " etc. His home has been converted into a museum and you can explore it.
There are a lot of jewelry shops selling Tanzanite, the blue coloured semi precious stone native to Tanzania. The beach is absolutely beautiful and there are a hell lot of properties: both on the beach as well as boutique ones in the narrow alleys of Stone Town, which takes you back to authentic East African culture. And there are uncountable souvenir shops and restaurants.
History lover or not, this place is a must visit when in Zanzibar.
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
15 comments
The beauty of your Travel posts are not just quality content but also equally fantastic photography. Girl you just nailed it. LOved the post
ReplyDeleteSounds like a 'mast' place. I definitely would like to see Freddie Mercury's museum home. And buy the blue stone and walk around this lovely Stone Town. I wonder how the pilaf tastes there, though.
ReplyDeleteLove your shades 😍Mandira. Zanzibar sounds like an interesting heritage city with an amalgamation of several cultures.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what Freddie Mercury's pic was doing in the place...I thot it was a pub. But wow! he was born there and his house is a museum now? I'd love to see it as I'm a big fan. I thought he was born and brought up in Bombay. Thanks for this info.
That quote at the beach entry is so witty and apt 'Leave nothing but your 👣'
ReplyDeleteI hope people implement that on every beach. Your pictures look lovely and the town seems really inviting. Seeing an Arya Samaj Temple there makes me feel so proud. I also like their versions of our dishes like Pilao and Farantha
Again, I have to say this, your travel posts are amazing. And knowing I will never visit some of the places you've traveled to, my dependence on your blogs to learn about these places is increasing. Thank you so much for sharing about the Stone Town, and that Freddie Mercury was born here is an awesome trivia that I will tuck away in some small part of my brain to be recalled when needed.
ReplyDeleteZanzibar's location makes it a hub of all kinds of cultures since ages. Even now it is quite a busy port. The museum looks good, but is it depressing with all the slave trade memories? Loved the vibrant pictures, especially the one with the mirror and baskets.
ReplyDeleteLoved the awesome pics. The temple was a surprise. The place looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely travel piece. Might never visit but this made it come alive
ReplyDeleteA lovely peak into the stone town...Thanks a lot. Beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat i liked about this place is the vibrancy which is very appealing one and will attract any traveller to this place. The pictures are awesomely captured and you made me feel that I must go there to explore or will miss something. Thanks for the lovely colorful travel post of Zanzibar.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting location with so much to do and see... the pictures are good, and it looks like the beaches are clean and picturesque.
ReplyDeleteOh the places you go! I always look forward to your blogs as I get to read about places I never hear of. It's amazing to see that part of the world and know more about them.Happy travelling! - MommyWithAGoal
ReplyDeleteWow, Zanzibar looks a must-visit place to dive deep into history pages. Freddie Mercury lived in the Stone Town and you were chilling there! ❣️
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that Zanzibar had so much history. Your post is very informative. Thank you for sharing it. Very pretty pictures.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your travel posts! I am not sure if I may ever get to visit some of the incredible places you’ve been to. Keep up the great work!
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