Zanzibar Urban/West: Stone Town’s History and Architecture
Accommodation in Zanzibar Urban/West
A prominent point of reference in Zanzibar Urban/West is Stone Town. This Swahili coastal trading town is a well-known tourist area in Zanzibar’s Urban West Region. Its cityscape combines cultural influences from Africa, the Arab world, India and Europe, while also reflecting the long history of trade between the African and Asian coasts. If you want to focus your trip on historic urban development, architecture and these cultural connections, this offers a clear thematic focus.
Das Beit al Ajaib (House of Wonders) in Stone Town, Sansibar.
Photo: Unknown author Unknown author via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
The historic cityscape
Narrow, winding streets shape Stone Town, as do groups of low-rise buildings and large mansions by the sea. Open spaces are also part of the urban fabric. In this way, narrow streets, groups of lower buildings and larger houses come together in a historic settlement. The mansions by the sea create a distinct scale alongside the lower buildings. The architecture and urban planning reflect Swahili, Indian, Arab and European influences.
Building materials and house forms
The buildings are made mainly of coral limestone and mangrove wood. The mangrove wood was set in thick lime mortar, then plastered and whitewashed. In the two-storey houses, long, narrow rooms are arranged around open courtyards, with narrow corridors leading to the rooms. Elaborately carved double Zanzibar doors stand out on the exterior façades. The architecture is evident both in the arrangement of the rooms and in the design of the façades. Those interested in building forms can explore the city at several scales: from the floor plan of individual houses to the relationship between buildings and streets.
Historic buildings and their stories
Important historic buildings in Stone Town dating from the 18th and 19th centuries include the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the Old Dispensary, St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cathedral and Christ Church Anglican Cathedral. They also include the residence of the slave trader Tippu Tip, Malindi Bamnara Mosque, Jamat Khan, the Royal Cemetery, and Hamamni and other Persian baths. These diverse names encompass different types of buildings and offer several concrete points of reference for the city’s history.
The House of Wonders was built as a grand ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash. Christ Church Anglican Cathedral commemorates David Livingstone’s work to abolish the slave trade and stands on the site of the last slave market. Jamat Khan was built for the Ismaili community. These three landmarks show how ceremonial, religious and historical stories can be explored side by side in Stone Town. Together with the forts, residences, baths and other buildings mentioned, they create a layered picture that cannot be reduced to a single architectural style or period.
Choose the focus of your trip when selecting accommodation
When looking for a holiday rental, you can first decide what you want to focus on during your trip. If you are particularly interested in historic cityscapes, architecture and the history of individual buildings, Stone Town in Zanzibar Urban/West offers a specific regional point of reference. Within this theme, you can explore everything from the layout of the urban fabric and house forms to the historical significance of individual buildings. This lets you connect your choice of destination with what interests you most while you are there.
Tanzania as the wider geographical context
Tanzania provides the wider geographical context: the country’s coastline is more than 804 km long. It includes Unguja and Pemba, which together form Zanzibar, as well as Mafia Island. This describes Tanzania as a whole; Stone Town, with its historic urban fabric and architecture, provides the specific city focus in Zanzibar Urban/West.
Discover more destinations: Urban, Zanzibar City, Selem, Mbweni, Fumba, Bububu.
See the main travel overview: Tanzania.
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