Travel Guide

Places To See

Beit el-Ajaib (House of Wonders)

Beit el-Ajaib - home to the Zanzibar National Museum of History & Culture is one of the largest structures in Zanzibar. It was built in 1883 by Sultan Barghash (r 1870-88) as a ceremonial palace. After British naval bombardment in 1896 it was rebuilt and used as a residential palace for the Sultans and later the headquarters of the CCM (Tanzania's ruling party).

Inside are exhibits on the dhow culture of the Indian Ocean, Swahili civilisation and 19th-century Zanzibar, plus smaller displays on kangas (printed cotton wraparound, incorporating a Swahili proverb, worn by women) and the history of Stone Town. There's also a life-sized mtepe (a traditional Swahili sailing vessel made without nails, the planks held together only with coconut fibres and wooden pegs).

Beit el-Sahel (Palace Museum)

Just north of the Beit el-Ajaib, is Beit el-Sahel. This palace served as the sultan's residence until 1964 when the dynasty was overthrown. Now it's a museum devoted to the era of the Zanzibar sultanate. The ground floor displays details of the formative period of the sultanate from 1828 to 1870.

There is also memorabilia of Princess Salme, a Zanzibari princess who eloped with a German to Europe, and later wrote an autobiography. The exhibits on the 2nd floor focus on the period of affluence from 1870 to 1896, during which modern amenities such as piped water and electricity were introduced to Zanzibar under Sultan Barghash. The 3rd floor consists of the modest living quarters of the last sultan, Khalifa bin Haroub (r 1911-60), and his two wives, each of whom clearly had very different tastes in furniture. Outside is the Makusurani graveyard, where some of the sultans are buried.

Mangapwani Caves

The Mangapwani caves are located about 20km north of Zanzibar Town along the coast. There are actually two locations. The first is a large natural cave with a freshwater pool, supposedly used in connection with the slave trade.

North of here is the sobering slave cave, a dank, dark cell that was used as a holding pen to hide slaves after the legal trade was abolished in the late 19th century.

Events

Although Muslim holidays make for heady celebrations in the Zanzibar Archipelago, you may feel like you're fasting even when it's not Ramadan - many restaurants close down during these times. Coinciding with the end of the haj in February, Eid al-Kebir commemorates God's change of heart: Abraham was about to sacrifice his son as per God's command when the almighty decided, at the last moment, that a ram would do instead. Ramadan, the annual 30-day fast when adherents do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset, and Eid al-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of Ramadan, are also celebrated in style. The precise dates of events, according to the Islamic calendar, are known only shortly before they fall, and depend upon the sighting of the moon.

July is the fashionable month for non-Muslim festivals. Consider lobbing in for the Zanzibar Cultural Festival, held annually around mid-July, the Zanzibar International Film Festival, also held in July, and Mwaka Kogwa (marking the Shirazi New Year or Nairuzim), held in late July.

Pre-Departure Information

Electricity

230V

50Hz

Electrical Plugs

South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin

British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade

Weather Information

Along the coast the climate is tropical, with high humidity and temperatures averaging 25-29°C (77-84°F). From December to March, temperatures can exceed 30°C (86°F). Throughout most of the country there are two rainy seasons, with the 'long' rains (masika) drenching Zanzibar from mid-March to May, and the 'short' rains (mvuli) doing their best from November to January.

History and Culture

Pre-20th Centure History

It is thought that the Zanzibar Archipelago's earliest residents were Bantu-speaking peoples who made their way over from the Tanzanian mainland more than 2000 years ago. Zanzibar's history was shaped by its geographical position - right in the middle of the Indian Ocean trade routes, accessible to both traders and colonists. Trade relationships with Arabia and various parts of the east African coast were established as early as 700 BC. In the early part of the 1st millennium AD, permanent settlements were established as traders began to intermingle with the indigenous Bantu speakers. It was this intermingling that gradually gave rise to Swahili language and culture in the area.

Trade between the archipelago, Arabia and the Persian Gulf peaked between the 12th and 15th centuries. Zanzibar became a powerful city-state, supplying parts of the world with slaves, gold, ivory and wood. With trade from the east came Islam, which became entrenched by the 11th century. The arrival of the Portuguese in the early 16th century heralded the end of this golden age and the beginning of a wrestle for control of the archipelago. Portuguese rule was overthrown in the early 18th century by Omani Arabs, whose hold on power did not weaken until the 1860s.

During this time, the slave trade grew rapidly, fuelled by the demand for plantation slaves in North and South America. By the mid-19th century, the archipelago had become the world's largest slaving entrepôt. It is estimated that around 600,000 slaves were sold through Zanzibar between 1830 and 1873.

In 1861, Zanzibar separated from Oman and became an independent sultanate. During Sultan Barghash's rule (from 1870 to 1888), Britain and Germany divided up much of the area, securing economic control over the remaining coastal strip. In 1890, the British proclaimed a protectorate over Zanzibar and curtailed the slave trade.

Modern History

Independence was granted in 1963 but it didn't take too long for the political elite to start squabbling among itself. Within a year of independence, the sultans were overthrown in a bloody revolution instigated by the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), and a declaration of unity was signed with Tanganyika (mainland Tanzania), forming the United Republic of Tanzania. This revolt in effect marked the changing of the guard on the island, replacing the long-established Arab ruling class with the Africans, who constituted the majority of the population.

Rivalries between inhabitants of the main island of Zanzibar and the smaller island of Pemba, and conflict between supporters and opponents of unity with the mainland, continued to fester. As on the mainland, the two major parties in the archipelago are the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), which has its stronghold on Pemba. Tension between the two parties peaked during the 1995 elections, and have been simmering ever since, with residents of Pemba feeling increasingly marginalised. Ethnic violence against Pembans flared in the wake of the 1995 elections, salting the wound. The fragile calm was again shattered by the 2000 elections, and the resulting violence on Pemba in January 2001.

Recent History

Since then, renewed efforts at dialogue between the CCM and CUF have restored a tenuous peace, although little progress has been made towards resolving the underlying issues. The resulting tensions lead to occasional acts of violence, such as a series of bombs aimed at prominent citizens and a tourist hotel in early 2004.

Meanwhile, the government has its work cut out for it. As well as passing draconian laws against homosexuality, it is pressing for a separate flag for the region while trying to keep a lid on rumblings from within. There are dissatisfactions from within the Muslim community as well as broader complaints that, during a tourism industry slump caused by diplomatic warnings against travel in the area, the benefits of tourism are not being shared widely enough. And if that wasn't enough, the clove market, the islands' traditional export, has hit rock bottom.

Incumbent president Amani Karume won 53% of the vote in October 2005's hotly contested presidential poll. The election was marred by clashes between police and opposition supporters. The opposition CUF claimed victory and said the government had tried to falsify the results. The CCM aim to keep Zanzibar part of Tanzania, while members of CUF have called for Zanzibar's outright independence. In May 2006 a Zanzibar court began to hear a case challenging the legality of the 1964 treaty that included Zanzibar in the new United Republic of Tanzania.