Stone Town
Now, it’s impossible to talk about Stone Town, the old part of Zanzibar’s capital, without talking about the doors. And for good reason, as the beginning of this collection will hopefully portray.
Elliott Erwitt put it best when he said;
“The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.”
But Stone Town – and Zanzibar – has so much more to offer. There are two churches and around 50 or so mosques.
One of the churches, Christ Church, stands on the ground where once grew a tree. Around that tree was a market in which slaves were bought and sold. Slaves would be chained to the tree and whipped until they cried out.
The longer they held their tongues, the more they were worth.
Today, outside the church, there sits a statue – Memory for the Enslaved – sculpted by Swedish artist Clara Sornas that incorporates genuine chains once bound to the slaves, while inside is an altar next to the spot where once grew the aforementioned tree; a round stone now in its stead.
Under the church are two rooms that guides will tell you were once used to store the slaves - up to fifty in each, one for the men, one for the women and children. Though this is unfortunately disputed by historian Jan Georg Deutsch, as cited in an unpublished paper written by Louise Rolingher [p.16-17]
Besides this, however, there doesn’t seem to be much evidence in support either for, or against.
Around the corner from Christ Church is Darajani Market where you’re welcomed by a large hall, split in the middle, and shared between the fish and meat markets — accompanied by an expectantly pungent smell.
The Happy Butcher
The most memorable thing about Stone Town though is the narrow alleys that make up a large part of the old city. Innumerable vendors ready to coax you into their boutiques that line either side of streets that are filled with people walking, cycling, riding scooters or simply trying to cart about their wares.
In the evening it’s a good idea to find yourself down in the Forodhani Gardens on the seafront where a night food market is held with even more vendors vying for your attention, this time with an abundance of seafood.
But then what else can you expect of a tiny island perched in the Indian Ocean?