Carved doors
Omani and Indian.
No machine-readable author provided. Mbz1 assumed (based on copyright claims). — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kgbo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Prof. Chen Hualin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — CC BY 2.0
Zanzibar's old town, a maze of narrow lanes and coral-stone houses blending Omani, Indian, Swahili and European architecture. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2000 as one of the finest Swahili trading towns on the East African coast. The town grew in the nineteenth century, when the Omani sultans moved their capital from Muscat to Zanzibar and it became the hub of the Indian Ocean trade in cloves, spices and ivory. That is why its lanes are full of mosques, Omani courtyard houses and carved Indian wooden balconies. It is most famous for its carved wooden doors, some with square Omani-style frames, others with arched tops and brass studs in the Indian style. Its landmarks include the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the Sultan's Palace, Forodhani Gardens and Darajani Market. Wandering is free, and the best plan is to get a little lost in the lanes in the morning and end up by the sea at sunset. Dress modestly, as most residents are Muslim, and remember that Zanzibar requires visitors to buy mandatory insurance before arrival.
Omani and Indian.
Coral-stone houses.
At Forodhani Gardens.
West coast of Unguja island, Zanzibar
Hamamni Persian BathsPublic baths built in the late nineteenth century by Sultan Barghash bin Said in2 minutes walk3.5
Old Slave Market and MemorialThe site of the last open slave market in East Africa, closed in 1873 when Sulta2 minutes walk4.3
Darajani MarketZanzibar's main market and its liveliest place, at the eastern edge of Stone Tow2 minutes walk4.4
Palace Museum (Beit al-Sahel)A white palace with crenellated walls on the Stone Town waterfront, home to the 4 minutes walk3.9
House of Wonders (Beit al-Ajaib)Stone Town's most famous and tallest building, a ceremonial palace built by Sult4 minutes walk3.8Yes. Since October 2024 Zanzibar's government has required foreign visitors to buy travel insurance, USD 44 per adult and valid for 92 days, on the official site before arrival.
Because the Omani sultans made Zanzibar their capital in the nineteenth century and built palaces, mosques and houses in the Omani style.