Stunning Stone Town, Tanzania

Being one of the oldest Swahili towns the Stone Town of Zanzibar is one of the most famous tourist destinations of the eastern Africa. The narrow and winding streets and the gorgeous stone buildings make it an unbelievably town to explore. The town was built in the 19^th century by the Arab slave and spice traders and soon the town became a major trade center along the Indian ocean. The region was under the authority of the Omani Sultanate and the town was built from the local stone which is both beautiful an strong. UNESCO has made it a world heritage site and this has helped in preserving the town by renovating some of its most beautiful buildings.

The architecture of the town is a fusion of the Swahili and Arab buildings and some of the comparably newly buildings that were built in the late 19^th or early 20^th century have a considerable European influence. Zanzibar has its own airport but there are not many direct foreign flights are available for it so your best option will be to take a flight to Dar es Salam the capital of the country and then either take a connecting flight to Zanzibar or hire a ferry to take you to the harbor of the city.

The hotels of stone town are a lot cheaper than the ones along the beach area and there are plenty of them to choose from so you can easily find one according to your needs. You can decide to wander in the stone town by yourself or you can hire the services of a guide to provide you with a guided tour of the town. There are plenty of sightseeing to do in the town, you can start with paying a visit to Bait al Ajaib, the house of wonders which is one of the most stunning building of the town. It was built in the 1870’s for the sultan of Zanzibar and will soon become the location for the national museum. The architecture is again a fusion of both Arab and Swahili culture and its grandeur and beauty will surely make you gasp.

The Anglican Cathedral is the best building to observe the European architecture in the town. It was built in 1873 by the British at the place where the old slave market was located and this is the largest European building in the city. The Nasr Nur Muhammad Dispensary is the one of the most imposing buildings of the town and is a perfect example of just how amazing a nicely renovated stone town building can look.

The market of the town is a great place for shopping but it can get a little too hectic for a common tourist some time. The market is a huge network of alleyways where there are numerous shops and stalls that sell everything from used clothes to spices, sea food, mangoes and coconuts. There are quite a few good restaurants in the city that will provide you with a memorable culinary experience.