Zanzibar Urban/West: Stone Town’s Architecture and History

Stone Town is a well-known tourist area in Zanzibar’s Urban West Region. As a Swahili coastal trading town, it reflects cultural influences from Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe. The historic townscape combines narrow, winding streets with clusters of low-rise buildings and large mansions by the sea. At the same time, its urban planning and architecture reflect the long history of trade between the African and Asian coasts. In Stone Town, urban form and cultural influences come together directly.

Townscape and Architecture of Stone Town

The urban fabric and townscape have been preserved almost intact. The buildings are made mainly of coral limestone and mangrove wood. The wood was set in thick lime mortar, then plastered and whitewashed. The choice of materials and surface finishes are as much a part of the historic townscape as the narrow streets and low-rise buildings beside the large mansions by the sea.

The two-storey houses have long, narrow rooms arranged around open courtyards. Narrow corridors lead to the rooms; the façades are distinguished by elaborately carved double “Zanzibar” doors. The courtyard, corridor and façade each reveal a different aspect of this architectural style. Together with the urban planning, the buildings reflect Swahili, Indian, Arab and European influences.

Important historic buildings 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. Other notable sites include the residence of Tippu Tip, Malindi Bamnara Mosque, Jamat Khan, the Royal Cemetery, and Hamamni and other Persian baths. The diversity of these structures means the historic townscape cannot be reduced to a single building type.

Christ Church Anglican Cathedral commemorates David Livingstone’s work to abolish the slave trade and stands on the site of the last slave market. The House of Wonders was built as a grand ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash. Jamat Khan was built for the Ismaili community. Each of these distinct historical connections gives the buildings their own place in Stone Town’s history.

Crafts are another place of interest in town: the Zanzibar Conservation Centre has a publicly accessible exhibition and sales area on the ground floor. This place dedicated to crafts adds another aspect to the historic architecture for you to consider as you explore Stone Town.

Stone Town in the Wider Context of Tanzania

To put Stone Town in a broader context, it is worth looking at Tanzania. The country’s coastline is more than 804 km long. It includes the islands of Unguja and Pemba, which together form Zanzibar, as well as Mafia Island. Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara are also part of the wider destination of Tanzania: these two Swahili trading towns owed their prosperity, particularly from the 13th to the 16th century, to their control of Indian Ocean trade with Arabia, India and China. This defined historical trading context complements Stone Town’s own character, which is especially evident in its preserved urban form and architecture.

Discover more destinations: Zanzibar City, Selem, Mbweni, Fumba, Bububu, Grave Island, Urban, Lindi.

View the broader travel overview: Tanzania.