Stone Town

Stone Town is the historic heart of Zanzibar City and one of East Africa's most distinctive urban landscapes. Built largely between the early 19th century and the early 20th century with locally quarried coral rag and lime, its labyrinthine alleys, ornately carved doors, balconies, and waterfront merchants' houses reflect a thousand years of Swahili, Arab, Persian, Indian, and European exchange. UNESCO inscribed the town as a World Heritage Site in 2000 as an outstanding example of a Swahili coastal trading town. Landmarks include the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the Anglican Cathedral on the site of the former slave market, the Sultan's Palace Museum, and the Hamamni Persian Baths. Forodhani Gardens transforms each evening into one of Africa's most atmospheric street-food markets. Stone Town is the natural starting point for a Zanzibar itinerary, easily walked in two or three days before continuing to a beach village or sailing to Pemba.