The Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town of Zanzibar, also known as Mji Mkongwe in Swahili for "old town", is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. The Town is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. It retains its urban fabric and townscape virtually intact and contains many fine buildings that reflect its particular cultures: Asian, Arab, African, and European bringing togetherness.

A wide range of architectural styles, eclectic collection of languages, and the tastes, smells, and sights of many cultures resulting from the mixing of Arab, Persian, Indian, European, and African traditions. The name Stone Town came from the extensive use of coral stone as the main construction material, mangrove timber, set in a thick lime mortar and then plastered giving the town a reddish warm characteristic color making it a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in 2000

Simply strolling around through a maze of narrow, twisting streets and alleyways and soaking up the atmosphere but given its labyrinthine nature and the number of 'guides' offering their services, we'd recommend booking a guided city walking tour and seeing the sights in comfort since most streets are too narrow for cars, the town is crowded with bicycles and motorbikes. Stone Town is punctuated with major historical buildings, several of which are found on the seafront; these include former palaces of the Sultans, fortifications, churches, mosques, institutional buildings, and monuments like Old Fort.

OLD FORT

Located on Zanzibar's west coast, Stone Town has a tropical climate typical of the East African coast: it's often very humid with temperatures warm to hot all year round. Rainfall is heavy from mid-March to late May and in November. The best time to visit Stone Town is during the hot and mostly dry December to February period or in the more comfortable June to October spring months, which offer the driest weather and cooler temperatures.

References

Centre, U., 2021. Stone Town of Zanzibar. [online] Whc.unesco.org. Available at: <https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/173/>.

Discoverafrica.com. 2021. Stone Town | Everything to know | Discover Africa Safaris. [online] Available at: <https://www.discoverafrica.com/safaris/zanzibar/stone-town/>

Go2africa.com. 2021. Zanzibar Stone Town Holiday | Go2Africa.com. [online] Available at: <https://www.go2africa.com/destinations/stone-town/why-go>