Spent the day wandering around Stone Town, Zanzibar’s Old Town. Exploring the city, I feel like I’m in an old movie.

While the old town has a certain old world charm to it,  it definitely feels as if it hasn’t been kept up at all. It’s an old artifact that is decaying.

While out walking, I came across the bazaar, where everything you can imagine is being sold, many times by merchants who just lay their wares out on a blanket on the sidewalk. The place was crowded with lots of people yelling and hawking their goods.

Would you like a suitcase or mattress with your fresh-squeezed juice?

In addition to its reputation for being a source for many spices that have been traded around the world, Zanzibar has a darker reputation – that of being a slave trading center in the 19th century.

One of the world’s most notorious slave traders,  Tippu Tip, made his home on Zanizbar.

Tippu Tip knew the African continent so well, he gave critical advice to David Livingstone, the intrepid explorer.

Speaking of Tippu Tip, there is a very somber tribute to all those who came through Zanzibar as slaves at the old Slave Market. The structures of the market itself are gone, having been bulldozed and replaced by the Anglican Cathedral on the island.

When the church was built, the bishop at the time had the altar placed directly over the former whipping post of the slave market.

The church is right next to a mosque

One of the distinctive architectural features one finds all over the island are the intricate doors of the homes and businesses. These styles have been handed down from the combined Arab and East Indian design influences.

Speaking of design, there are other fascinating architecture styles to be found on the island.

Built in 1883 for Barghash bin Said, second Sultan of Zanzibar, “The House of Wonders” was the first building on Zanzibar to have electricity.

The Old Dispensary is the major architectural attraction in Zanzibar. Located across the street from the ferry terminal, it was originally the main source of dispensing drugs and prescriptions in Zanzibar’s Stone Town. It is now a collection of shops & tourist attractions.

The old fort is just that – the original fort designed to protect Zanzibar against invaders in the 19th century.  

And finally, for those that are worried about sexism on Zanzibar, it’s still very much a factor in the Muslim community.