Stone Town

Stone Town is the old core of Zanzibar City, set on a promontory on the western side of Unguja island. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2000, describing it as an outstanding example of a Swahili trading town shaped by centuries of seaborne trade between Africa, Arabia and Asia. It was also a major slave-trading port, and later the base for abolitionist campaigns, which is part of why it carries such weight today. The protected area covers about 96 hectares, and almost all of it is best seen on foot.

The buildings are made mainly of coralline ragstone and mangrove timber, bonded with lime mortar and then plastered and lime-washed. Typical two-storey houses have long, narrow rooms arranged around an open courtyard and are entered through a narrow corridor. Look out for the famous carved double doors: Indian-style doors usually have rounded tops and brass studs, while Omani-style doors are rectangular. Long stone benches called baraza run along many outside walls, where neighbours sit and talk in the shade.

Most of the town's landmarks lie within a short walk of each other. The Old Fort, the Old Dispensary, St Joseph's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral on the site of the last slave market, the Hamamni Persian Baths and the house of the slave trader Tippu Tip all sit inside the old town. Shangani, the original fishing settlement from which Stone Town grew, and the Baghani area are good places to start a door-spotting walk.

Practical tips: the lanes are narrow, winding and poorly signposted, so getting lost is part of the experience; head towards the sea when you want to reorient yourself. Stone Town is a largely Muslim, conservative community, so covering shoulders and knees away from hotel pools and beaches is respectful, and it is polite to ask before photographing people. Allow at least one full day, ideally two, to see the main sights at an unhurried pace, with early mornings and late afternoons the most comfortable times for walking.

Getting there is simple. Zanzibar's airport lies about 9 km south of Stone Town, and ferries from Dar es Salaam and Pemba arrive at the harbour in the heart of the old town. Creek Road, now Benjamin Mkapa Road, marks the boundary with Ng'ambo, the newer part of the city, and the main daladala (shared minibus) station is beside Darajani Market. The town has been a conservation area since 1985, managed by the Stone Town Conservation and Development Authority, so please respect local efforts to protect its fragile buildings.