By Zanzibar Stone Town Heritage Society
Zanzibar Stone Town, or the ‘Old Town’ as the name reads in Swahili, has a rich history, of brave sea traders, explorers, sultans and exotic spices. The exceptional architecture and construction of the coral stone buildings, the narrow streets carry the imprint of various cultures and traditions. Each building; its windows, its carved doors, its walls, tells an intriguing story. This unique cultural heritage has rewarded the town a position among the World Heritage sites.
Stone Town is located along the west coast of Zanzibar’s main island Unguja, and covers a small peninsula of approximately 17 hectares. The existence of the islands was noted in ancient nautical guides written by Greek explorers, and has ever since held a strategic position along the east coast of Africa. The name Zanzibar is believed to have developed from the Persian word ‘Zang’, meaning black. The first settlers are thought to have been Bantu people from the interior of Africa. Taking advantage of the monsoon winds and the increased ability to build ships, people from the Persian Gulf, India and the Far East made their way to the islands. As a result, the Swahili culture that emerged along the African coast, and on the petite peninsula of today’s Stone Town, manifested itself in the intertwining of customs from the central and southern parts of the continent and Arab traditions. Not the least of which was the faith of Islam and the influence of Islamic architecture.
At the turn of the fifteenth century, after Vasco Da Gama had successfully navigated around the Cape of Good Hope, the Portuguese aggressively took control of the area. It is said that when the Portuguese arrived, the town was ruled by a queen named Fatma. She allowed the intruders to stay and build their own commune, including a church, in the area where the Old Fort is situated today. The Portuguese rule in Zanzibar lasted for about two hundred years, until the Omani Arabs gained force and once more became the supreme power.
In the 1830s the Sultan of Oman decided to move his capital to Zanzibar. He saw the potential of the fertile island and came to settle on the shores of the peninsula that offered a safe haven for the seaborne traders. Here, he built his residence overseeing the busy landing site where all ships had to anchor. Soon followed a prosperous era where trade in slaves, ivory and cloves boomed. Since the ‘scramble for Africa’ had begun, Zanzibar’s strategic importance became even more apparent and diplomatic relations were established with the United States of America, Great Britain and other European countries.
In recognition of such a unique history and its remarkable imprint on the existing city of Stone Town, the Zanzibar Government embarked on the long process of getting Stone Town inscribed on the World Heritage List in the early 90s. After intense lobbying, Stone Town was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2000, satisfying three prescribed criteria that recognise its outstanding value to humankind. It is one of eight sites in Tanzania.
The three criteria defined for Stone Town are:
Criterion (i): The Stone Town of Zanzibar is an outstanding material manifestation of cultural fusion and harmonization.
Criterion (ii): For many centuries there was intense seaborne trading activity between Asia and Africa, and this is illustrated in an exceptional manner by the architecture and urban structure of the Stone Town.
Criterion (iii): Zanzibar has great symbolic importance in the suppression of slavery, since it was one of the main slave-trading ports in East Africa and also the base from which its opponents such as David Livingstone conducted their campaign.
According to UNESCO, ‘The surviving town is a physical reflection of testimony to this long-term interchange of human values within the coastal region of East Africa. It gives an authentic impression of the living Swahili culture and it is the best preserved example of its kind.’
A collection of buildings have been marked as the most culturally and architecturally important in the Town, including The Old Fort, the House of Wonders, The Old Dispensary, St Joseph’s Catholic Cathedral, Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, The Tippu Tip House, Malindi Bamnara Mosque, Jamat Khan, the Royal Cemetery and the Persian Baths. Many of these demonstrate classic features of this unique architectural and cultural synthesis. Ornamental carved entrance doors, pointed arches, the verandas decorated with lattice work resting on pillars of iron or wood. Most buildings have an open court yard in the centre and the thick walls built of coral rocks and lime mortar help to keep the temperature cool inside. Despite the status of being a World Heritage site, there are many prominent buildings in poor condition, as a result of neglect, poverty and little understanding of their value.
A group of committed Stone Town residents saw the need for raising awareness and increasing the community involvement in the preservation of the Zanzibar Stone Town. The idea of forming a strong non-governmental organisation, based on members from the local community was born. In July 2002, the Zanzibar Stone Town Heritage Society (ZSTHS) was officially registered, and since 2005 has been funded by the Embassy of Sweden/Sida. The mission of ZSTHS is to work for the preservation and conservation of the Stone Town buildings, cultural heritage and for the economic and social welfare of its inhabitants. ZSTHS runs various activities focusing on advocacy, awareness raising and the enhancement of knowledge on conservation practices.
ZSTHS has its office in the renovated ‘Old Customs House’ along the Forodhani seafront. This prominent building, built in mid-1860s as a residential home for a daughter of the Sultan, was later converted into a government office hosting the customs and tax authorities. Today, the building is the Zanzibar Conservation Centre, managed by the ZSTHS.
For more information about Stone Town and World Heritage go to:
Zanzibar Stone Town Heritage Society: www.zanzibarstonetown.org
Stone Town Conservation and Development Authority (STCDA): www.stonetown.org
Zanzibar Department of Archives, Museums and Antiquities: www.zanzibarheritage.go.tz
UNESCO World Heritage Centre: www.unesco.org
