Echoes of the past
Kizimkazi is home to one of Zanzibar's treasures: an early 12th-century Chirazi mosque, probably one of the oldest in East Africa. Its mihrab (prayer niche pointing to Mecca) bears verses from the Koran said to have been engraved in 1107. On the island of Pemba, the treasures of the past are even older. At the tip of the Ras Mkumbuu peninsula, you can discover the ruins of Qanbalu, the oldest Muslim city in Africa, founded in the 8th century. Remains of mosques, tombs and houses can still be seen. Near Pujini, the ruins of Mkame Ndume bear witness to monumental defensive architecture. After this short stopover in Pemba, let's return to Stone Town and take a step back in time, to the 19th century to be exact, a century of prosperity for the sultans of Oman, as witnessed by their palaces and mosques, such as the city's oldest mosque: Msikiti wa Balnara, recognizable by its domed, dazzlingly white minaret. The most famous of Zanzibar palaces is the House of Wonders(Beit el-Ajaib). Its lavish décor blends stone and metal architecture, with steel colonnades opening onto a beautiful clerestory gallery. The palace was also the first to be equipped with an elevator! And don't miss the ruins of the Maruhubi Palace, with its beautiful columns, aerial aqueduct and small reservoirs supplying the Persian-style hammam. But Persian mastery of water architecture is even more apparent in the Persian Baths of Kidichi, with their three small vaulted halls topped by domes pierced by small stained-glass windows and decorated with typically Persian floral motifs. Other echoes of the past, but this time from the West: the British influence that can be seen in the silhouette of Zanzibar's Victoria Hall or the clock-tower of Pemba's courthouse. If St. Joseph's Cathedral rings a bell, it's simply because its architect is the same man who designed Marseille Cathedral, reproducing its silhouette with its two tapered spires!
The treasures of Stone Town
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic heart of Zanzibar City has been nicknamed Stone Town, due to the unique architecture of the houses lining its winding streets. In contrast to the modest Swahili homes, most of which are single-storey, and the Indian stalls, with their often colorful narrow facades and organization centered on the commercial space known as the duka, the so-called "Omani" houses are almost like urban temples. Made of coral stone and mangrove wood bound together with a thick lime mortar, then plastered and usually whitewashed, these houses are governed by two key principles: respect for privacy and ventilation. From the street, all you can see are their balconies, carved like moucharabiehs to allow you to see without being seen, and their sculpted doors, which have become emblems of the town. Observe them carefully, as they reveal many secrets about their owners! The oldest, influenced by Arab culture, have rectangular lintels decorated with geometric motifs, while the houses influenced by Indian culture have semicircular lintels and abundant floral decoration. Carved and worked like lace, these doors reveal motifs rich in meaning: the date palm for prosperity, the fish for fecundity, the lotus for purity and rebirth; as for the chain, some see it as a symbol of security, but it more likely refers to the house of a slave owner. On some doors, you'll also see imposing copper nails that look somewhat threatening: they are in fact the heirs to the Indian tradition of planting stakes and nails at the thresholds and doors of houses to counter attacks... from elephants! The door thus reflects the owner's origin and social status. Leaning against the facades, the barazas or stone benches, often covered with mosaics, allow the inhabitants to meet. Once through the double-leaf door, a narrow corridor leads to the majlis, the meeting room and only public space in the house. The rest of the house is organized around a central courtyard lined with arcades. From this courtyard, a beautifully crafted staircase leads upstairs. These stone treasures have been the subject of an extensive rehabilitation program, which includes a modest purchase price in return for a commitment to renovation. Other houses have been transformed into modest guesthouses or luxury hotels, but all have retained their incomparable charm.
Unusual modernity
In 1964, President Kurume wanted to launch a vast urban renewal plan as a symbol of his revolutionary social policy. At the time, the GDR was seeking political recognition on the international stage. That's why it decided to invest massively in Zanzibar and help transform society... and that's how today the historic heart of Zanzibar converses with Ng'ambo, "the other side", a district of high-rise blocks modelled on the German Plattenbau. 300 m long and 5 storeys high, these concrete bars, nicknamed the Michenzani Trains, have been arranged symmetrically in a cross pattern marked by wide avenues. The contrast with the narrow streets of the historic center is striking. Elsewhere on the island, notably in Bambi, the Germans have also financed projects for single- and two-family homes, alternating between brick and concrete. These buildings stand in stark contrast to the traditional houses with wooden wattle and daub walls and palm frond roofs. Abandoned in 1977 as unsuited to the island's lifestyles, the project was resurrected in the 2000s, with the construction of new bars in 2010... a real eye-opener! Just like the improbable project signed by the island's authorities: the Zanzibar Domino Tower, a 70-storey tower housing hotels and apartments and built on an artificial island with a marina... This pharaonic project is expected to cost the modest sum of 1.3 billion dollars, i.e. 60% of the island's annual budget! But the authorities want to turn what is expected to be the tallest tower in sub-Saharan Africa into a tourist and economic asset. Fortunately, the island is also looking for ways to reconcile tourism and respect for the environment, with hotels and eco-lodges that use natural materials and respect local traditions and cultures, such as the luxury Zuri Zanzibar. Let's hope that this mythical island can retain its unique charm for as long as possible, but in view of the new concrete resorts, this is not the policy chosen by the island.
