When was Stone Town Zanzibar built?
1830s
The first stone houses in Stone Town probably began to be built in the 1830s, gradually replacing an earlier fishing village around the Old Fort. At the time the Sultanate of Oman controlled the Zanzibar Archipelago, Mombasa and the Swahili coast.
Where did slaves from Zanzibar go?
Every year, about 40,000-50,000 slaves were taken to Zanzibar. About a third went to work on clove and coconut plantations of Zanzibar and Pemba while the rest were exported to Persia, Arabia, the Ottoman Empire and Egypt.
Is Stone Town Zanzibar safe?
Is Stone Town safe at night? Erring on the side of caution, the answer is no. Muggings and robberies do happen, especially in dark alleys at night. So, don’t walk around by yourself at night.
What was Zanzibar called before?
In April 1964, the republic merged with mainland Tanganyika. This United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was soon renamed, blending the two names, as the United Republic of Tanzania, within which Zanzibar remains an autonomous region.
Why is it called Stone Town?
Stone Town gets its name from the ornate houses built with local stone by Arab traders and slavers during the 19th Century. It is estimated that around 600,000 slaves were sold through Zanzibar between 1830-1863. Stone Town was also an important base used by many European explorers including David Livingstone.
What language do they speak in Zanzibar?
Swahili, the national language, is a composite of several Bantu dialects and Arabic that originated along the East African coast and on the island of Zanzibar. Swahili is the lingua franca of the country, and virtually all Tanzanians speak it.
Are there sharks in Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is famous for its abundance of reef fish and large variety of small marine life. Zanzibar is not a diving destination for big pelagic such as shark, manta rays and whale shark. …
Is Stone Town worth visiting?
Zanzibar Town is the capital of Zanzibar Island but only one part of it is worth visiting: Stone Town. A maze of narrow, twisting streets and alleyways, Stone Town oozes history from every pore. Often experienced as a day tour, Stone Town does in fact have plenty of very upmarket and well-located accommodation.