Stone Town is the cultural heart of Zanzibar and little has
changed in the last 200 years. The grand old Arabian homes lining the narrow
streets and winding alleys give the city its own unique charm. The majority of
homes in Stone Town were built in the 19th C when Zanzibar was one of the most
important Swahili trading towns in the Indian Ocean. Visitors will notice the
bras-studded, intricately carved wooden doors on many of the houses.
As the world's oldest functioning Swahili city, many of the
landmarks in Stone Town have been restored to their original glory. Some of the
historic buildings are now museums which can be visited. The town also has a
couple of interesting old churches of historical significance. A walk along
Creek Road takes visitors to the original Stone Town area and the location of the Central
Darajani Market, Beit el-Amani, City Hall, and
the Anglican Cathedral. Some of the other key highlights include
the Forodhani Gardens, the Old Dispensary with its
carved wooden balconies, the former home of the sultans known as Beit
el-Sahel or the People's Palace, the Hamamni
Persian Baths built in 1888, and the oldest structure in Stone Town,
the Old Fort.
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