Zanzibar Regions Guide

National Museum (Peace Memorial Museum)
Home to a wealth of Zanzibar's memorabilia, the National Museum is a great place to discover the intriguing history and culture of the islands. With exhibits including traditional carvings and local wildlife displays covering reptiles and birds, visitors can also view relics from the age of the Sultans and early explorers such as Chinese porcelain, an old palm oil-powered bicycle lamp and David Livingstone's medical chest. Built as a peace memorial by British architect J.H. Sinclair, the beautiful spherical design of the National Museum acknowledges Zanzibar's Arab influence and is reminiscent of the eastern architecture of Istanbul and India. Lookout for the cumbersome land tortoises that inhabit the Museum's lush garden.
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Northern Beaches
There are many superb white beaches, warm waters and picturesque villages around Zanzibar ideal for those wanting to get away from the bustling town life, particularly along the northern east coast. Modestly veiled women make bright splashes of colour along white sandy stretches of beach, dhows with curved sails drift along close to shore and fisherman offer their fresh catches of the day to the simple seaside restaurants. Miles of pristine beaches are dotted with pockets of guesthouses, particularly around Kendwa and the fishing village of Nungwi, renowned for its tradition of boat building, and one of the most popular locations, particularly with a younger crowd. There is excellent diving and deep-sea fishing off the coast. One of the most beautiful and isolated beaches is at Matemwe. The small offshore island of Mnemba has a fine coral reef for some of the island's best diving.
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Old Fort
Built at the turn of the 17th century on the remains of a Portuguese church and crumbling Arab garrison, the burly Old Fort was constructed to fend off the enterprising Portuguese seafarers and Mazrui Arabs of Mombassa keen to gain power of the industrious 'Spice Island'. The Mazrui Arabs launched an attack in 1754 coming off unsuccessfully against the stoic Old Fort. The thick caramel walls and castellated battlements later acted as a place of incarceration, detaining locals and slaves. In later years the fort functioned as the depot for the Bububu railway, Zanzibar's first railway, travelling from Zanzibar Town to Bububu, which is no longer in existence. Nowadays the Old Fort houses shops and henna painting stores and the Cultural Centre where visitors can marvel at the fine artistry of local craftsmen at work.

In the evening local music and dancing at the open-air theatre brightens up the night and occasional film screenings are shown.
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Opening times: Daily 9am to 8pm

. Palace Museum
Illuminating the lifestyle of the Sultan legacy in Zanzibar, the Palace Museum, (originally called the Sultan's Palace), became the official residence of the Al Busid dynasty in 1911. Built in the 1890s the extensive white building situated on harbour road with breathtaking sea views, is the most recent of the Sultans' palaces and was occupied till the revolution in 1964. The Palace Museum houses a myriad of the Sultans' elaborate furniture and possessions as well as a room dedicated to the life of Sultan Sayyid Said's daughter, Princess Salme. Renowned for her manuscript called 'Memoirs of an Arabian Princess', this significant autobiography is the only written account of what life was like for Arab women of the Royal court in the 1800s. Excerpts from the book, family photographs and samples of Princess Salme's wardrobe are also on display. Outside the museum is the Makusurani graveyard where some of the sultans are buried.
Telephone: (255) 24 223 1158
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Opening times: Open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and weekends from 9am to 3pm

Anglican Cathedral and Slave Market
The colossal Anglican Cathedral in Stone Town is located on the grounds of the islands largest slave market, which closed down in 1873. The cathedral's altar stands on the exact location of the former whipping post, a tree where slaves were brutalised to show their strength and resilience to potential slave owners. Building began in 1873 to commemorate the end of the slave trade and was conducted by Edward Steere, third bishop of Zanzibar and a fervent abolitionist. The cathedral has a combination of Gothic and Arabic styles and is noted for its Basilica shape and barrel vault roof, which the populace believed would never hold. Taking ten years to build, Edward Steere died of a heart attack during construction and was buried behind the altar. Look out for the stark memorial outside the cathedral, a sculpture of a slave family bound round the neck by a historic chain.
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House of Wonders (Beit el-Ajaib)
The first building in Zanzibar to have electricity and the first building in East Africa to have an elevator, Beit el-Ajaib (which translates into the House of Wonders) was the former ceremonial palace of Sultan Barghash and was built in 1883 on the site of Queen Fatuma's residence. A striking white building, the House of Wonders has undergone much tenure, used by the British as their local offices and as the headquarters of Tanzania's political party CCM.

Reopened in 2005 after a renovation project to maintain Beit el-Ajaib's cultural heritage, visitors can now freely admire the intricately carved doors, the Portuguese cannons dating from the 16th century and the tiers of pillars and wraparound balconies, which make the palace so attractive. Don't miss the immaculate views from the top storey, the museum displays of coastal East African history and culture or the craft market playing out on the veranda during the day.
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Opening times: Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm

. Central Market
A vibrant array of colours and spicy scents lure visitors to the animated Central Market in Stone Town. Opened in 1904 as the Seyyidieh Market the myriad stalls run over with tropical fruits, exotic spices, brightly coloured khangas (worn by local women) and rare provisions such as pomegranates and red bananas. Locals come daily from the surrounding areas to display their subsistence wares and fisherman display their catch of the day with a pungent array of fresh fish from huge marlins to salty sardines. For an evening snack head to East Africa's best street market held every night by the waterfront at Forodhani Gardens.
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Old Dispensary (Aga Khan Cultural Centre)
An architectural symbol of the mixed bag of cultures evident in Zanzibar's history, the elaborate Old Dispensary was so named because it long housed a dispensary on the ground floor, with a pharmacy and resident doctor. An affluent Ismaili Indian merchant, Tharia Topan, who financed the building project, laid the first brick 1887 and completed building in 1894. One of the most decorative buildings of the time, the Old Dispensary is adorned with ornate carved balconies, stuccowork and stained glass windows. Restored in the early 1990s, the Dispensary now houses a small museum on the upper level with old photographs of Stone Town's waterfront and displays illustrating the intricate restoration process. There are also some curio shops on the ground floor.
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