Zanzibar city

Zanzibar city

Zanzibar city also known as Zanzibar Town and often refered to as Zanzibar (Jiji la in Swahili and مدينة  in Arabic زنجبار) is the largest city of Zanzibar and the capital of Zanzibar Island, the city is located on the west coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. The city also serves as the capital of the Zanzibar Urban/West Region formally known as Zanzibar Urban District, Zanzibar city is situated north of Dar es Salaam across the Zanzibar Channel.

zanzizbar city

 Zanzibar City is an exciting tropical destination with spectacular land scapes of the African Coast, the city attracts millions of tourists seeking to visit the wide beaches with snow-white sand, blue waters of warm Indian ocean and the serenity making the area a tropical paradise.  These beaches are situated close to Zanzibar City such as Bububu beach and the popular beach of Nakupenda with crystal waters which appears only in the morning with low tides.

Zanzibar city comprises of two main parts that are Stone Town and Ng’ambo (translated as The Other Side) which are historically divided by a creek and now marked y a large street called The Creek Road,

Stone Town – this town is the historical core of Zanzibar city and a world famous landmark in Zanzibar, the town is the former capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate  and in 2000 it was listed and declared as a UNESCO because of its unique architecture and culture. The town has unique monuments of antiquity that have been preserved, some of them include a famous house where the Freddy Mercury a famous musician was born, the house was turned into the Mercy House Hotel and the apartment of the renowned musician is rented.

Ng’ambo part of the Zanzibar City is a much larger, modern area that developed around the Stone Town after the Zanzibar Revolution, the area comprises of office buildings and large apartment blocks such apartments of the Michenzani neighborhood.

 Zanzibar is served by Abeid Amani Karune International Airport handling international and domestic flights operated by several airlines.

History of Zanzibar city

Zanzibar city known today has went through this changes to become the city as it is known today, in 1592 the first English boat arrive at the port and in 1824, the Sultan Said bin Sultan – sultan of Muscat and Oman of Oman established the capital of his Kingdom “Oman” in Zanzibar City.

Zanzibar was an important for slavery and slave, the island was one of the main ports of East Africa for the slave trade, in 1846, the island had 360,000 slaves out of the 450,000 inhabitants. In 1866, the Birtish explorer David Livingstone arrived on the island and stayed from 1813 -1873 as he prepared for his last expedition to Tanzania. In 1892, Zanzibar was declared a free port.

Climate of Zanzibar city

The type of climate experienced in Zanzibar city is tropical climate which is very similar to the Unguja Island, this kind of climate is classified as a tropical moonsoon climate. The average temperatures received in Zanzibar city is 26.9 °C (80.4 °F) and the monthly average temperatures are usually between 25.1 and 28.8 °C (77.2 and 83.8 °F).

Zanzibar City experiences 2 rain seasons with the long rain season experienced between March and May and the short rain season between November and December. Dry months in Zanzibar are experienced in January – February and the long dry season between June and October.

The average annual rainfall is 1,512 mm (59.5 in). The monthly average temperatures are usually between  There are two rain seasons, with most rainfall coming between March and May and smaller rain season coming between November and December. Drier months are January – February, and a longer drier season between June and October.

What to do in Zanzibar City

House of Wonders

House of Wonders is an icon of Zanzibar city, the house rises in impressive tiers of slender steel pillars and balconies overlooking the waterfront. The house was built in 1883 by Sultan Barghash for ceremonial purposes, the house features enormous carved doors which are said  to be the largest in East Africa, fronted by two bronze cannon with Portuguese inscriptions dating them to the 16^th century.

 it its hey days, House of wonders had marble floors, paneled walls and never seen before electricity and running water which resulted into its name “House of wonders”. Unfortunately a large section of balcony collapsed in 2012 due to years of neglect, this resulted into closing of the building’s interior from the public.

house of wonders zanzibar

Forodhani Gardens

Forodhani Gardens is a perfect chilling spot in Zanzibar city and a social hub for tourists and locals, the gardens were originally laid out in 1936 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Sultan Khalifa (reigning 1911 -60). You can still see the domed podium where a brass band would play which the marooned ceremonial arch at the water’s edge was built to welcome Britain’s Princess Margaret on her state visit in 1956.

Forodhani Gardens has a larger restaurant jutting into the sea, 2 small cafes with outside seating, beaches under shady trees, a children’s play park and food stalls in the evening

Old Dispensary

Old Dispensary is a beautiful building and one of the most attractive landmarks on the water front featuring peppermint-green latticework balconies and sculpted clock tower, the old Dispensary is a 19^th-century charitable dispensary. The dispensary was built by Tharia Topan, a prominent Ismail Indian merchant who also acted as financial adviser to the sultan and as a banker to Tippi Tip, the most notorious slave trader.

The Old Dispensary is open to tourists/travelers – free to wander through the interior which accommodates offices, there is Abyssinian’s Steakhouse restaurant in the airy courtyard on the ground floor.

Princess Salme Museum

Princess Salme Museum is a delightful little Museum telling the story of Princess Salme – a daughter of the Sultan who elpped with a German Merchant in the late 19^th century, the princess later wrote Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar. Princess Salme Museum was carefully curated by the renowned historian Said al Gheity.

Princess Salme Museum

Anglican Cathedral

Anglican Cathedral is a tall spire and grey yellow walls building dominating the surrounding streets of Zanzibar City, the Cathedral has dark-wood pews and stained-glass windows which are a reminder of British visitors of churches in England (Britain).

Anglican Cathedral was the first Anglican Cathedral in East Africa constructed in 1870s by the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA), the church sits on the former site of the Slave Market and was built as when slavery was established.

Palace Museum

Palace Museum was the palace of Sultan Seyyid Said from 1828 until it was largely destroyed by the British bombardment of 1896, the museum occupies several large buildings along the waterfront. The museum was then rebuilt and used until the 1964 revolution when the last sultan was overthrown.

Palace Museum is dedicated to the sultanate of the 19^th century and it consists of banqueting tables, portraits, thrones and water closets offering you an insight in the sultanate in the 19^th century.

Palace Museum is situated adjacent harem, Beit el-Hukm and some of the nearby buildings were a self contained unit with raised walkways allowing royal personages to avoid city streets.

Other tourist attractions in Zanzibar City include Old Fort, Darajani Market,

Catholic Cathedral, Kidichi Persin Baths, Kidichi Persina Baths, Mtoni Palace, Maruhubi Palace, Mercury House, Aga Khan Mosque, Mbweni Ruins

What to do and see in Zanzibar City

Visit Jozani Forest

Jozani Forest is an ideal site to visiting during your travel to Zanzibar, the forest is a vast, biodiversity hotspot which part of the Jozani Chwaka Bay national park. These forest is a home to a reasonable population of the rare red colobus monkeys, these monkeys are a special beauty with distinct cries and vibrant coats.  Jozani Forest has a nature trails where nature walks are done, during these walks you will be able to enjoy sights of the rare red colobus monkeys, several species of butterflies and leopard as you walk on a board that descends into mangrove swamps.

jozani forest

Exploring the Stone Town

Stone Town also known as Mji Mkongwe is the ancient part of Zanzibar City and the capital town of Zanzibar (Unguja Island), the town is a historic heart of Zanzibar with bewildering maze of streets and alleyways that form the westernmost tip Zanzibar Town. Exploring the Stone Town recognized as an important UNESCO World Heritage Site offers you a trace to the origins of Zanzibar through its buildings which still maintain their original architectural structure. The old Façade of the buildings are one of the aspects giving Stone Town a unique charm.

The Stone Town was initially a fishing village but later turned into a trading point, like Zanzibar the town has plenty of cultural influences. During a guided walking tour in the Stone Town which lasts for about 3-4 days offers an opportunity tour the town, learn more about the town and visit of the remarkable sites such as visiting the birth place of Freddie Mercury, admire the Old Fort, visit the House of Wonders among others.

·         Admire the intricate doors of Stone Town

During walking tour you will admire the fascinating architecture of the old buildings with their intricate doors, as you wander through the narrow streets make it appoint to look around at the beautiful, carved doors which are a special feature of the town. These doors feature intricate designs and carvings which tell more about the residents who live in these houses, these doors also tell if the residents are Swahili, Indian or Arabs basing on the shape and design of the door.

·         See the birth place of Freddie Mercury

If you are a fun of Queen, you can visit the birth place where Mercury Freddie was born which on a tour in Zanzibar, this place is located right in the city center. Though people state that it might not be the real house due to constant moving of Freddie’s father moved several times while Freddie was young, however visiting this site is a great opportunity to learn more about the background and upbringing of Freddie.

·         Visiting the Old Fort

The Old Fort is a landmark in Stone Town and Zanzibar, the fort was built by the Omani Arabs in 1699 and it is one of the oldest buildings in Town. Visiting the Old Fort offer an opportunity to learn about the history and contributions of the Arabs to the development of the town.

Other sites you visit as you tour the Stone Town include the Forodhani Gardens, wander around Darajani Market, eat out at one of the Rooftop restaurants, visit the Slave Museum to learn about the Slave trade and visiting the House of Wonders.

Chill at the beach

Your trip to Zanzibar City cannot be complete without a moment of relaxation on the crystal white sand beaches of dotted along the Island fringed with palm trees, some of the best beaches to visit during your visit to Zanzibar City include Paje Beach, Bwejuu Beach, Nungwi Beach among others.  On your visit to these beaches, you can do activities such as taking a swim in the gorgeous crystalline waters of Inidain Ocean, kite surfing, jet skiing and sun bathing among others.

Spice Tour

Zanzibar Island is famously known as a spice Island due to large spice plantations found around the island, these plantations can be visited during your travel to Zanzibar city. Spice tour offers you an opportunity to discover various spices which are the major export of the Zanzibar, you will be able to learn how they grow and produce spice and herbs. You will also be able to buy some of the spices at the local market stalls operated by the local people.

spice tour

 Local Experiences

During your travel in Zanzibar City, you can add on to your experience by during several activities which will give you an authentic local experience and these include

Explore local villages

You can take a visit to the nearest local visit which can be reached by taking the main road from Zanzibar’s beaches, in these villages you will be able to learn about the lifestyle of the local people and how they live their lives.

Use local transportation

Using local transportation is an unmissable experience in Zanzibar city, while on your travel make sure you use a dala dala to get from one place to another, though they are not air-conditioned, you get a chance to meet and interact with the local people.

Other local experiences to do include visiting the local shops in Stone Town where you will buy a range of hand crafted gifts including textiles, fabrics and local art, Eat at local restaurants where you will taste dishes of Zanzibar Cuisine, and visit Pemba Island.

How to get to Zanzibar City

There are 2 main entry points to Zanzibar that is the airport and the seaport,

The seaport is situated in the Stone Town which is a walkable distance from the center of Zanzibar City, from the port there is no public transportation so you will use a dala dala to get to your destination in Zanzibar City.

Airport, direct flights from various parts of the world to Zanzibar City or Zanzibar Island at large are operated at Zanzibar airport, from the airport you will take a dala dala to get around Zanzibar City.