STONE TOWN - ZANZIBAR

 29th - 31st Oct 2020

The Old Fort in Stone Town

I think Mr Mwinyi has been re-elected as President of Zanzibar and Mr Magufuli of Tanzania (to nobody's great surprise). Still no signs of 'unrest' here but maybe things are different in Dar Es Salam. I've learnt Swahili for "don't shoot!", it's "upsipige risasi!". I passed a group of police sitting around a street corner. We exchanged pleasant 'Jambos' and then their dog, resembling a werewolf, went for me! Fortunately restrained on its chain within an inch of my trousers by its handler. I think they thought it was quite amusing.

Right: My hotel. As mentioned before, a somewhat unfortunate name but good value and recommended! Breakfast included, on the roof-top, which involves climbing 6 flights of steep stairs. Good morning excercise. The waitress has to climb 2 of them to serve food.

On my meanderings around Stone Town I came across the old Hamamni Baths (left). These were built in 1880 by Sultan Barghash for public use. There are passages leading off the central bath area to other rooms featuring things like saunas and hot pools. All heated by a wood-fired boiler outside. I believe it was a very sociable establishment.

I then found the former slave market (not the only one in Zanzibar) and was given a tour around the place. As you are no doubt aware Zanzibar, under Omani rule, was a big exporter of slaves from East Africa to various Arab countries. We Brits exported them to the Caribbean from West Africa. Their slaving operations finished  in 1873, long after ours ended. I doubt if they are pulling down statues in Arabia.

Left: One of the holding cells for slaves. This one housed about 75 men, women and children. They slept, chained, on the stone platforms and relieved themselves in the gutter in between. Apparently the 'windows' have been enlarged recently for the benefit of tourists so they can see something! Not sure what room service they got.

I doubt it got a very good rating on Tripadviser.

Right: The Anglican Cathedral which was built on the site of the market itself. Construction started under the auspices of Bishop Edward Steere (Bishop of Zanzibar) and UMCA (Universities Mission to Central Africa) in December 1873 and finished in 1879. Freed slaves helped with the construction (out of the frying pan into the fire?). 

Left: It is quite elaborate inside with an original fully operational organ and impressive stained-glass windows. Services are still held here every Sunday. 

Bishop Steere died of a heart attack shortly before it was completed. He is buried in a tomb (right) just behind the altar.

David Livingstone (Wee Davey to his friends) the famous British (Scottish) explorer in Africa (and international darts player) was the driving force behind the construction of the Cathedral and organised the missionaries to help. There is a stained-glass window in memory of him and this crucifix (left) is made from the tree that grew where his heart was buried in the village of Chitambo, Zambia.

I think he was the founder of Trailfinders.

Right: The  Slave Memorial next to the Cathedral. Apparently, when being on parade and being sold, slaves were tied to the 'whipping tree' which was directly below what is now the altar in the Cathedral. When whipped, the ones that could take the pain best attracted the highest prices.

As a slave, this photo (left) informs me, one of the best 'paid' jobs was as a porter. I didn't think slaves were paid.

Right: The saintly 'late' Bishop Steere. I can't work out whether his beard has grown down or his chest hair has grown up. Whichever, it seems a rather sweaty arrangement for the climate in Zanzibar.

Lunch break and I went to a recommended eatery called 'Lukmaan' (left). It was closed (as many places were around election day) but opened again. Not much to look at from the outside.........

......but was pleasant inside and served a good variety of nosh. As always in this town, very friendly and attentive staff. Recommended for a light lunch if you are passing by.

Left: The Old Fort, or a part of it. The front entrance is shown at top. It was built by the Omani Arabs in 1698 after they had seen off the Portuguese....... 

......Inside of which is an amphitheatre (right). This holds several musical events as well as the world famous Zanzibar International Film Festival. It has at times been a prison and a tennis club (no doubt for the Brits).

My guide book recommended a visit to the House of Wonders nearby (left). This large building, it said, 'rises in impressive tiers of slender steel pillars and balconies overlooking the waterfront. Its enormous carved doors are said to be the largest in East Africa. It houses the National Museum of History and Culture'. Built by the aforementioned Sultan Barghash in 1883 for ceremonial purposes, it boasted marbled floors, panelled walls and never-seen-before electricity and running water, and that was the reason it was called the House of Wonders. Anyway, in 2012, after years of neglect, it collapsed. Restoration stalled. It is now a shell covered with scaffolding and netting and surrounded by high corrugated iron fencing. It was hardly even worth a photo....but I think they are working on it as there were notices at the fenced off end imploring workers to wear hard hats.

Right: This is a (historical) photo of how it looked just before it collapsed.

Left: A 16th century Portuguese cannon outside what was the main entrance.

There are several pleasant cafés and two other buildings on the waterfront noted as interesting. One is Tippu Tip's House in the quaintly named Suicide Alley. He was a very wealthy 19th century Slave Trader. Apparently it was magnificent before it became a squat and is now derelict and locked up. I have been corrected here by a reader. Tippu Tip made his fortune, and power base, predominantly from trading ivory. Sure, he used slaves as all the wealthy did then in this part of the world. I am now reading a book about him (called 'Tippu Tip' by Stuart Laing). It is a fascinating (if complicated) insight into 19th century East Africa and the extraordinary explorers and entrepreneurs who operated there. The other is the the Palace Museum which was the seat of Sultan Seyyid Said until it was largely destroyed by the British bombardment in the Anglo-Zanzibar war of 1896. This conflict has the distinction of holding the record for the world's shortest war. It was 'waged' on the 27th August and lasted betweem 38 and 45 minutes before the Omanis surrendered. The building was rebuilt and now houses (apparently) royal paraphernalia from the 19th century sultanate (including original water-closets). Anyway, it was closed. As mentioned earlier several places were closed; most temporarily during the election period but some possibly because of a lack of tourists.

I passed by the Africa House Hotel (left) which is, I was told, functioning. So many of the buildings looked dilapidated due to their blackened stucco facades. I think I'll stick with Bottoms Up.

As was this place (right) which is the Town Hall (that's what the sign says!). You would have thought the Town Council might have invested in a few tins of paint.

The locals, as mentoned, are predominantly Muslim and many dress as such. The women tend to stick to hijabs and abayas (often very colourful) and the occasional chador or niquab (the black post box). The men are more variously dressed. Some in dish-dash (the long nightgown) with those little pill-box hats (kufi?). Many just wear jeans and T-shirt and there is a surprising number of Massai; tall, slim, elegant men with their colourful robes, long white stick (for whacking cattle), lots of bracelets on wrists and ankles and a large 'panga' knife hanging from their hip. I don't know what Massai women wear. Loudspeaker calls to prayer from the mosques are a regular noise.

Architecture is a mix of Arab, African and Portuguese with a few up-market modern hotels and restaurants. There is nothing relating to British colonial days as far as I have seen, probably because they let the Sultan run the place. Much of it is somewhat dilapidated and some totally derelict. OK, a bit grotty in parts but a jolly place nevertheless.

Left: The smart foyer of a decent hotel into which I dropped for a much needed beer. They didn't serve beer. Nice place, I'm sure, but I didn't stay long.

Along with all the persistant 'touts and guides' I have been 'greeted' by, there is  a follow up 'salutation' which must be lingua franca in many African and Asian countries. It is a cheery "Yuwontacksi!" The answer to which, I have invented, in Swahili is "Onyabikey". This confuses them for long enough to get away.

Right: Another standard heavy wooden brass studded door. Further to my last edition I have been corrected by my 'editor' (someone who actually reads this journal; with a microscope) that these doors are a legacy of both Indian and Omani origin not Portuguese. Those with rounded tops are Indian, and the square tops are Omani. Hope i've got that correct.

That's enough from Stone Town for a bit. I will return later because I have yet to visit the Freddie Mercury Museum amongst other things. In the meanwhile I am off up north to suss out some beaches. 

Tuta onana badie.